Book Reviews – Page 151

The High King by Lloyd Alexander (Prydain Chronicles #5)

October 10, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: The final story is strangely satisfying.

The High King is the last of one of the best-known Young Adult fantasy series before Harry Potter. It won the Newberry Award in 1969. This was about the same time the Lord of the Rings trilogy took off in the US (the last of the Lord of the Rings books was published in 1956).

The High King is the most like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It has the most action; it is the most focused on large-scale battles. It is the most exciting, and up until this reading, it was my favorite of the series. It is still an excellent book, but Taran Wander is more interesting as a character study. I like the action books, but they are what is driving my reading. I first read the series first in the mid-1980s and was in its target audience.

Luke’s Gospel From Scratch by Donald L Griggs and Paul W Walaskay

October 7, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: A basic introduction to Luke that is not simplistic or reductionist.

Regular readers of my blog know that I am working through a six month study of Luke. There are links to other books I have read an reviewed on Luke below.

I took Jerry Bridge’s suggestion to really delve deep into a book instead of surface reading scripture. So from July through December this year I am just reading Luke. The most important discovery I have made is that just reading will only get you so far. You NEED to use commentaries and other helps if you really want to understand a passage.

Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction by Mark Noll

October 6, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: The common thread of Protestantism is diversity, focus on scripture and change.

I first heard of Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction on a podcast from Books and Culture magazine. I am a regular reader and listener to their short weekly podcast and have first heard of a number of books that I have enjoyed from them.

I am also not familiar with the Oxford Short Introduction series. But after having read this one, I will read more. There are more than 200 books in this series over a very wide range of topics. I cannot speak to the series as a whole, but I like the idea of a series that is oriented toward short books on a wide range of topics written by top scholars in the field and oriented toward an educated reader.

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander (Prydain Chronicles #4)

October 5, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: At some point, growing up means finding meaning and joy in work and yourself.

Taran Wander is my favorite book of the series. In many ways, it is different from the rest of the series. Is it still a book focused on a quest, but instead of saving someone, defeating an enemy, or finding a magical device, it is about Taran finding his heritage.

As a young teen (probably really a tween), there are several points in the books where I actually learned something that I used later. Taran wanders through Prydain to seek out his parentage because he wants to propose to Eliowayn. But she is a princess, and he is an orphaned Assistant Pig-Keeper.

The Night of the Living Dead Christian by Matt Mikalatos

October 4, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: There is no other author quite like Matt Mikalatos

We need more theologians that use an allegorical/satirical look at monsters to get their theological point across.

I very much enjoyed Matt Mikalatos’ first book Imaginary Jesus (my review) and I have passed it on to several people. So I had high hopes for the second book.

In both books a semi-fictional Matt is the main character. In Night of the Living Dead, mild-mannered Matt, in his self-appointed role of neighborhood watch coordinator, sees his neighbor turn into a werewolf and then see his neighbor’s wife leave him. Matt, accompanied by the previously introduced Mad Scientist and his robot, attempt to cure the neighbor (Luther) of his werewolf problem.

Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander (Book 3 of Chronicles of Prydain)

September 29, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Part of growing up is realizing the role of romantic love.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

The Castle of Llyr is the most romantically focused of the Pyrdain Chronicles. Taran is charged with accompanying Princess Eilonwy to her relatives so that she might learn how to be a princess (and not a scullery maid as she has been doing at Caer Dalben). As Eilonwy prepares to leave Taran realizes that he does not want her to go.

Once again there is another foil of about Taran’s age that helps Taran understand how to grow up in a different way. Prince Rhun is very nice, very honorable, but incapable of doing anything correctly. He bumbles everything. And Taran learns that Rhun’s father wants to marry him to Eilonwy.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

September 28, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: The bad things we do, can often be seen better through others. Or, I never noticed how annoying that thing I do was, until I saw you do it.

The Black Cauldron may be the best known book of the Prydian Chronicles because of the Disney movie. But I have never seen it. As I was glancing around I saw that a 25th anniversary edition of the movie was released last year. That makes me feel old. I am pretty sure I was reading this series before the movie was released and just never saw it. My memory is that most people did not think it was all that good. But maybe I will watch now.

This book picks up fairly soon after the Book of Three lets off. Taran and Eilonw are at Caer Dalben and have settled into their routine. Prince Gwydion (the crown prince and war leader for Prydain) has called a council to solve the problem of the Cauldron born (basically zombies). They are going to go into the heart of Annuvin to steal and destroy the Black Cauldron to prevent Arawn (the bad guy’s leader) from being able to create any more of these zombie soldiers.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

September 26, 2011 by Adam Shields

The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain Book 1) Summary: A teen leaves home to fix a problem he created and stumbles of a task to save the kingdom from a great evil.

This blog is not going to become a young adult fantasy book review blog. But I am enjoying re-reading some of the books of my childhood. There will be some more weighty books reviewed later this week.

The cover of The Book of Three shown is the cover of the copy that I had when I first read the book. It has been updated, but I still like this cover. It shows well Taran, the main character and the Horned King, the expression of evil for this book.

The Monster at the End of the Book (iPad App Book Review)

September 23, 2011 by Adam Shields

Summary: My favorite of the iPad books

Purchase links: iTunes, Print Book from Amazon

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a nanny for my two nieces. They have just turned 4 and 2.5. I bought an iPad right after it came out and they have been the largest users of it.

We play lots of games on it, and the 2.5 year old really likes to read books on it. But I rarely actually read books with her. Usually she read parts of them herself. She knows how to turn on the narration and turn the pages. But at 2.5 she rarely finishes a whole book. The four year old also rarely finishes a book, but she is more interested in the games than the books.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle

September 22, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: About 25 years after first reading it, this is still one of my favorite novels.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

I am not sure why I have always been so drawn to A Swiftly Tilting Planet. It has been one of my favorite books since I first read it. I have read it at least a half-dozen times now, although it has been since high school since I last read it.

I was trying to figure out why this is my favorite book of the series. Partially I think it is because it is focused on Charles Wallace. I have always been particularly drawn to ‘special children’. As an adult, I appreciate even more that what he wants to do is take charge and solve problems and use the skills and brain power he has. But as with many of the books, really what is needed is not to take charge and solve problems, but to just be the person that you were created to be. Charles Wallace was created for this problem, and he does not need to work to solve it as much as just be Charles Wallace and allow The Wind (or God) to place him where he need to be.