Bogormen

Title: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Author: Jules Verne Genre: Classics Rating: 8/10 # pages: 213 Date read: April, 2008

Summary: For some time past vessels had been met by 'an enormous thing,' a long object, spindle-shaped, occationally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."It is this "something" that Professor Aronnaz sets out to encounter--and thus begins the most incredible underwater journey ever. From Atlantis to the South Pole, the reader is taken through dangers, surprises, and the unsurpassed majesty of the marine world.

Review: I find that Jules Verne's books are of very varied quality. Fortunately this was one of the good ones, and I really enjoyed reading it. However, it is rather amusing to read about the technology he thinks will be available and how absurd some of his assumptions are - putting a bit of fantasy/sci-fi into an otherwise very realistic story.

My only 'complaint' is that I wish we knew what happened to Captain Nemo to make him like that.

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Title: The Three Musketeers Author: Alexandre Dumas Genre: Classics Rating: 8/10 # pages: 965 Date read: April, 2008

Summary: Mixing a bit of seventeenth-century French history with a great deal of invention, Alexandre Dumas tells the tale of young D'Artagnan and his musketeer comrades, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Together they fight to foil the schemes of the brilliant, dangerous Cardinal Richelieu, who pretends to support the king while plotting to advance his own power. Bursting with swirling swordplay, swooning romance, and unforgettable figures such as the seductively beautiful but deadly femme fatale, Milady, and D'Artagnan's equally beautiful love, Madame Bonacieux, The Three Musketeers continues, after a century and a half of continuous publication, to define the genre of swashbuckling romance and historical adventure.

Review: Now this is what I call a true classic. It has it all - love, hate, intrigues, fighting, people pretending to be somebody they're not, secrets... no wonder it's such a popular book to turn into a movie. It has a lot of the same atmosphere as Robin Hood (the movie, not the book), Ivanhoe etc. except that in this one the heros have faults and flaws. I didn't always like the four main characters nor think they acted nobly - unlike e.g. Robin Hood, they weren't always selflessly good, they had temperaments and vices... in short, they were human.

The only reason why I didn't rate it higher is that Alexandre Dumas was paid by the word, and at times it shows as the book is occasionally rather slow-moving. Not enough to make me give up on it obviously, but enough that I didn't rush through it like I would a really excellent book

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Title: Down to a Sunless Sea Author: Mathias B. Freese Genre: Short-stories Rating: 2/5 # pages: 134 Date read: April, 2008

Review: When reading a book you commit to a relationship. You commit to reading the book in the hopes that it in turn will commit to entertain and educate you. The problem or rather the effort in reading a short story collection is that you have to make this commitment again and again and again. Many people are scared off by that as they're afraid the commitment and the time-effort won't be worth it.

And unfortunately in the case of Down to a Sunless Sea, they'd be right. The short stories are dark, disturbing and cynical, which is not a problem in itself, but it seems as if they are dark, disturbing and cynical for the sake of being dark, disturbing and cynical. There's no rhyme or reason behind it.

The common theme that runs through all the stories is growing up, the quest for maturity and the joys and sorrows of coming of age - either slowly through the natural process, or abruptly and harshly through some external influence. While not a unique theme, it is a theme that never grows old and as such is very appropriate for a short story collection. But without explanation one of the stories falls completely outside this category. As a description of Arnold Schwaznegger's childhood and the fact that his father was a Nazi, it reads more like a piece of non-fiction or even propaganda. It is so different from all the other stories that I was forcibly drawn from the flow of the book and back into reality.

Most of the short stories in "Down to a Sunless Sea" would work very well as writing prompts for a longer novelette or even a novel, but when used for short stories they stop too abruptly and some are even inconclusive. While I don't expect all threads to be tied up neatly in any story and especially not a short story, it is rather frustrating when the entire point of the story goes missing because of it.

Fortunately there are exceptions to any rule, and I loved the story Alabaster - the tale of a young boy who meets an ex-concentration camp prisoner, and in his innocence is not ashamed of her tattooed number, but dares read it aloud. Poignant and well-written, I wish all the stories had been like this.

I have no doubt that Mathias Freese is a talented author, as his writing clearly bears witness of this fact. Unfortunately his plot ideas are not really suitable for short stories, and he would be better off sticking to novels.

Book List

Title: Briar's Book (The Healing in the Vines) Author: Tamora Pierce Genre: YA, fantasy Rating: 7/10 # pages: 221 Date read: April 2008, September 2010, October 2019

The stunning conclusion to the Circle of Magic quartet finds the young mages Sandry, Daja, Tris, and Briar facing their greatest challenge yet... a devastating plague that is sweeping Emelan.


Tamora Pierce has learned her lesson and stopped trying to write from too many points of view at the same time, which is definitely a good thing. I like the descriptions of Crane's workshop and the explanations of how everybody works to find a cure for the blue pox.

Title: Celebration of Discipline Author: Richard J. Foster Genre: Christian non-fiction Rating: 3,5 # pages: 200 Date read: April 2008, March 2016

When Richard Foster began writing Celebration of Discipline more than 20 years ago, an older writer gave him a bit of advice: "Be sure that every chapter forces the reader into the next chapter." Foster took the advice to heart; as a result, his book presents one of the most compelling and readable visions of Christian spirituality published in the past few decades. In succinct, urgent, and sometimes humorous chapters, Foster defines a broad range of classic spiritual disciplines in terms that are lucid without being too limiting and offers advice that's practical without being overly prescriptive. For instance, after describing meditation as a combination of "intense intimacy and awful reverence," he settles into such down-to-earth topics as how to choose a place and a posture in which to meditate.


Reread in 2016: Exceedingly weird... my opinion of this book keeps changing!

I read this in 2004 and absolutely adored it. Back then I'd have rated it 5+/5 because of how much it touched me.

I reread it in 2008 and was slightly disappointed that it couldn't live up to my expectations. I downgraded the rating to 4/5, as I thought it still started out really good and I learned a lot from the inward disciplines (prayer, meditation, study, fasting) but the outward (simplicity, solitude, serving and submission) and the corporate disciplines (confession, worship, guidance and celebration) seemed less important and less poignant to me than I felt they ought.

Then I reread it again this year, figuring that with lower expectations, it wouldn't disappoint me yet again... but that's exactly what it did. The contents of the book is still fine, but the writer's voice annoyed me exceedingly and I did think he made some arguments I didn't feel there was suitable reasoning behind.

Probably not a book I'll revisit - a shame, as I loved it SO much back when I first read it.

Title: Tris's Book (The Power in the Storm) Author: Tamora Pierce Genre: Fantasy, YA Rating: 7/10 # pages: 208 Date read: April 2008, September 2010

Summary: Four elements of power. Four children to control them. Alliances are tested, friendships forged and betrayed, and pirate queens fought in this second installment of the Circle of Magic quartet.

Review: I think this is my least favourite in the Circle of Magic series. Not that it's not still good, but Tris has always been the one of the four I was the least interested in. The book also seemed rather rushed, but I think that may be a general thing for the entire series, and not just this book in particular.

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Title: Pope Joan Author: Donna W. Cross Genre: Historical fiction Rating: 10/10 # pages: 462 Date read: April, 2008

Summary: One of the most controversial women of history is brought to brilliant life in Donn Woolfolk Cross's tale of Pope Joan, a girl whose origins should have kept her in squalid domesticity. Instead, through her intelligence, indomitability and courage, she ascended to the throne of Rome as Pope John Anglicus.

Review:I've always been very fond of historical novels, and Pope Joan is definitely one of my favourites. It still bugs me to see how badly Joan is treated, just because she's a girl, but I know it's appropriate for the age the story takes place in, and find it fascinating to read how she succeeds despite hardships of all kinds.

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Title: The Clan of the Cave Bears Author: Jean M. Auel Genre: Historical fiction Rating: 9/10, Audiobook ~22hrs # pages: 542 Date read: April 2008, July 222

When her parents are killed by an earthquake, 5-year-old Ayla wanders through the forest completely alone. Cold, hungry, and badly injured by a cave lion, the little girl is as good as gone until she is discovered by a group who call themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear. This clan, left homeless by the same disaster, have little interest in the helpless girl who comes from the tribe they refer to as the "Others." Only their medicine woman sees in Ayla a fellow human, worthy of care. She painstakingly nurses her back to health--a decision that will forever alter the physical and emotional structure of the clan. Although this story takes place roughly 35,000 years ago, its cast of characters could easily slide into any modern tale. The members of the Neanderthal clan, ruled by traditions and taboos, find themselves challenged by this outsider, who represents the physically modern Cro-Magnons. And as Ayla begins to grow and mature, her natural tendencies emerge, putting her in the middle of a brutal and dangerous power struggle.


As far as I remember, "The Clan of the Cave Bears" was the first long 'grown-up' book I read (I was 14 or 15), and for that reason alone it'll always have a special meaning to me. Even though I have now read enough to see its flaws, I still think it's an excellent book and the descriptions of the clan's every day life are fascinating... even if I do want to take Broud and hit him very hard with something. The ending still bothers me, but more because of the unfairness of it than anything else. And at least this time I know what happens next.

Reread 2022: Just as good as always, and I listened to it at every opportunity I got. Still wish Brun had seen through Broud earlier :-/