Revolver- book review

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Alaskan gold rush killed many a man. Unlike California, where people tended to settle down and enjoy the very nice climate, the Alaskan climate turned deadly for the uninitiated for about 6 months every year. This is a story about a man that brings his whole family to Nome for gold rush, what he does to protect them, and how it comes back to haunt them ten years later.

This is a love story. Not between a boy and girl, but between man and gun. Specifically the colt revolver. We are told that it is not a weapon, but an answer. The book makes this true, just not in the way you might initially think. Apparently the author did a lot of research on guns when he decided to put one in his book and surprised himself with how fascinated he became with them. It is not surprising then, to find that guns are a major theme of this book.

The story is divided in between two time periods. The first being the Nome gold rush and the second being ten years later in a town called Giron in Russia (may be a fictional town). We don't quite find out everything that is going on in Nome until the story in Giron requires it to unfold. The author does a good job of showing how dangerous the cold is and what it takes to live in it.

This book is very short already at about 200 pages, but then some chapters are only a couple pages long and look to be split up for the specific purpose of making the book longer. It is a very quick read. It is a YA book, but adults will find it enjoyable as well. The book does include violence and the threat and allusion of sexual violence, so I would suggest upper YA (12 and up).

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Summer Reading

Over at the scifi book club on good reads we have two books already selected for summer beach reading.  We are currently looking at Battle Royale and next month we will look at Ender's Game.  We also have a poll up for the August book. 

I am going to give my 12 year old some challenging books for the summer.  I plan on having her pick two off of a 9th grade honors English recommended reading list.  Since I am already reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I will also have her read that. 

I am wondering if I should have her invite some of her friends to discuss the books with us.  Most of her friends aren't as advanced in reading, scheduling such things can be tricky, and finding an accomodating venue would be the challenges.  Maybe I will suggest it, but keep the invite power for myself. 

Has anyone ever tried this with kids?  I do the library's parent child book club, but those kids generally don't know each other very well.  These books are going to be more challenging and have less general reader appeal (for their age, at least). 

Book club

The next book has been selected for the online science fiction book club.  This months theme is "Also a movie."  The winner with 4 votes is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.  It beat out Ender's Game with 3 votes, Cloud Atlas with 2 votes, and The Host with 0 votes.  So give it a read and head over to our good reads page and let us know what you thought.  Feel free to compare and contrast it with the movie. 

Our next poll is on Cyberpunk.  Head on over and vote, or add your favorite if it isn't already listed. 

Good reads book club

If you aren't on Good Reads and you read, you should be.  It is a great community.  With that in mind, I have created on online book discussion group on Good Reads and am inviting you all to join/spread the word.  You can vote now for the first book to be discussed.  There are three books on the list and you can write in a book if you wish. 

Inspired by Me

As a parent, I go through my activities hoping to influence my children in a positive way.  Hoping that the things I do will be more influencial than the things they learn from their friends, television, or the world in general.  The times when I see these influences come through are rare and memorable. 

I am in a book club.  Once a month a few friends and I meet at an eatery and discuss a science fiction book.  My wife works nights, so I usually carry the kids along for the ride.  They get bored, but I have usually brought something for them to do while they wait. 

At this months meeting, my oldest suggested that we read some Magic Tree House books so that she could get in on the discussion.  Then, last night, she came up with the idea that she start her own book club.  She had a list of friends that she wants to be a part of it.  She wants the meetings to be at McDonalds (I agreed with her that a place with food makes it better).  She was very excited by the idea.  I asked her if they would read only a certain kind of book and she said, "No, we will read all kinds."

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't proud of her.  Here was an activity that I enjoyed with my friends and I was setting an example of behaviour the whole time.  It just goes to show you that children are watching even when you think they aren't or they say they are bored.  Show your children positives and try not to be too suprised when they show you those positives right back. 

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Book Club

At Panera Bread in Hermitage, tonight, 7pm. We will be discussing In the Balance by Harry Turtledove. We will also discuss the website and its implementation. Phil will lead the discussion on that.

Questions for In the Balance:

In the Balance: An Alternate History of the Second World War (Worldwar, Volume 1)

Harry Turtledove

1. Is the writer misogynistic or is he just "in the time period?"

2. The Race is slow to adapt and unable to relate at all to humanity's resistance. Is this realistic?

3. The Race reacts to ginger as a very addictive drug. Drug use seems very new to them. Seeing as how humans discovered mind altering substances in very primitive times, is it feasible that any technological society would not have done the same?

4. People in the book seem to pick up the completely alien language very quickly. Discuss.

5. There is an awful lot of adult situations in the book. Is this distracting?

6. Was Turtledove able to portray famous individuals and technology of the time accurately?

7. The N word is used several times in the book. Discuss.

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Book Club Meeting Tonight

I Am Legend

Richard Matheson

We will be meeting Wed. January 9 to discuss I Am Legend by Richard Matheson at the Camino Real restaraunt in Antioch (next to Target and Shoney's) at 7pm.

Discussion Questions:
This story was written in 1954. Does it stand the test of time, or is it outdated?

Robert Neville continues to live in his own home; what does this say about his character?

Two different kinds of vampires are formed; is this realistic or does it come off as contrived?

A couple of movie adaptations have been made of the novel; do they hold up? Why?

The pacing of the book is quite slow; does this hurt the story?

Stephen King has admitted to being influenced by Matheson's work, particularly this novel. Is Matheson's influence present in any other modern authors.

The ending is poignant. What was Matheson saying?

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Ninja day and book club

Happy Ninja day everyone.  Book Club is tonight at the Panera Bread Co. in Hermitage, 7pm.  I think we will be discussion At All Costs, but I didn't read it.  I was busy and reading The Lost Boys by O.S. Card.  That book was really good. 

 

 

Lost Boys: A Novel

Orson Scott Card

Not the cover I had, but cooler.

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NSFBC Meets Again.

Nashville Science Fiction Book Club meets Wednesday, 7pm at the Antioch Arby's on M'boro rd.  (this location is better than it might sound, it is very conducive to the meeting and has ample space).  To stay up to date try subscribing to our listserve

The book we are discussing is Predator: Forever Midnight.  You don't have to read the book to attend the meetings, but it is encouraged.  Below are some questions that I made up for the book to use in discussion.

1. Was the use of real people (notably authors) distracting or a nice homage?

2. How did you feel about the surprise twist at the end with the family at gun point, was it in character?

3. Is the book misogynistic?

4. Hish culture is explored in depth here (I am unsure if other novels have explored it before), did the writer do an adequate job?

5. compare contrast the Hish as described in this book to the hish portrayed in the Predator movies including AVP.

6. The captain of the sea vessel that is abducted to midnight tells the survivors that Earth has been destroyed. Is this a good tactic?

7. Discuss the theme of symbiosis within the novel.

8. Discuss the environmentalist theme of the book.

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Book Club Meeting

The Nashville Science Fiction Book Club will meet Wednesday Oct. 3, at the Panera Bread Co. in Hermitage at 7pm.  We will be discussing The Gunslinger, by Stephen King.  Meetings are free of charge although I am sure Panera would appreciate a purchase of some sort.  Meetings are open to anyone, heck, my children will be there.  We will have a sign identifying us at our table.  Before and after book discussion we usually talk about all kinds of topics ranging from the internet to new scientific discoveries.  Come join the fun. 

 

Sign

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