The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World

Book 1 of The Wheel of Time
by Robert Jordan
audiobook: 30 hours

*** About the Book ***

In this first book of the Wheel of Time series, three farm boys and two young women are ripped away from the quiet life of their village when creatures out of myth attack in the night. They are guided by an ageless woman with mysterious powers and her quiet protector. The group ventures out into the world with one goal in mind: to evade the evil forces that continue to track them. They encounter new friends and new enemies on their journey and learn some unsettling facts about themselves as well.

The series is based on a cyclical notion of time and the idea that everything has happened before and will happen again.

Of course, it is really hard to summarize epic fantasy so just go with, ok?


*** Why I (re)Read it ***

I've read this book at least twice and listened to the audio version at least three times. A while back I gave away a copy of this book in a contest. Nicole won it and was excited to read it. When she asked me to be a guest on her blog talk radio show she said I had to pick a book to discuss with her. This seemed to be the perfect thing, and she agreed. So I had to revisit it to prepare for our discussion.


*** My Thoughts ***

As difficult as it is to summarize an epic fantasy novel, it is far more challenging to share my thoughts about a book that is so familiar to me. I love this book and have loved it for so long that I really don't know what to say about it.

Ok, I'll give it a shot ...

• The characters in this book are wonderful. They are kind, cruel, smart, stupid, tormented, conflicted, loving ... in short, they are REAL.
• There is Adventure! And who doesn't like Adventure?!
• This is a new world but it isn't all that different from our own (albeit in an older time period) so I can imagine things quite clearly.
• Jordan is a master of description; he's been compared to Tolkien in case that helps you get an idea of his writing style.
• The plot is exciting and unpredictable - no guessing the ending ahead of time with this book/series.
• There are things you learn as side notes in this book that become important plot points later in the series. In fact, I seem to find more and more of these every time I revisit this book.
  

*** Your Thoughts ***

I posted some discussion questions for this book yesterday in preparation for my interview tonight on That's How I Blog! - be sure to check them out if you haven't already. I'm thrilled by the response I got when I encouraged people to read this book for the show. If you did read it, THANK YOU for trusting my opinion and I hope I didn't let you down.

Here are some other reviews you might like to check out:

• It's All About Books - read it for the show
• One Day At A Time - I dared her to read and she ended up liking it
• My Two Blessings - was surprised that she hadn't read this before
  
• and I KNOW that more of you have read this book so please link to you review in the comments!
  

And don't forget to listen or call in to the show tonight!

Discussion Questions for That's How I Blog (The Eye of the World)

I'm going to be on the blog talk radio show That's How I Blog tomorrow night at 10pm EST.

You can get the details of the show (including how to listen in and the call-in number for the book discussion) in my post from last week and also on the show's home page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thats-how-i-blog.


If you’ve read THE EYE OF THE WORLD (aka TEOTW) I hope you are planning to discuss it with me during the Book Club portion of the show.

For those who have read, check out my list of questions below. These are some of the things I want to talk. You can post your thoughts in the comments of course, but what I’d really like is to have you share them with me on the show.


***Warning: Do not read any further if you are still planning to read the book – there ARE spoilers! ***


Discussion Questions for TEOTW, or “Things I want to talk about” …

• Are you an epic fantasy reader or is this your first venture into the genre?
• Did the book turn out to be what you expected it to be?
• When I first read the book, the prologue confused the heck out of me. It didn’t really make sense until I got farther into the series. How did you feel about it?
• I read this book for the first time in the early 1990s. I STILL remember the creepy feeling I got when I read about Rand seeing the black rider on the road, with the cloak that didn't move in the wind. *shudder* THAT is when I knew this book would be good. Did that scene affect you in the same way? Or was there another scene that made you REALLY get into the book?
• My favorite characters in this first book are Perrin (and the wolves – yay! If you remember, I’ve always had a thing for wolves) and Nyneave. On my first reading, Matt was my least favorite character; he really irritated me, especially with the whole knife thing - STUPID, MATT, very stupid!!! After reading the series so many times, the only character I really dislike at this point is Padan Fain (side note: Does he remind anyone else of Gollum?). Which characters did you love? Hate?
• There are a few scenes whose creepiness stuck with me through the years … Shadar Logoth, the swarm of ravens killing the fox, and Machin Shin (the Black Wind) in the Ways. It is one thing to read about the Machin Shin and quite another (and much, much creepier!) to hear the Wind's words read aloud. *shudder*
• There are also scenes that I love, such as the story of Manetheran, first meeting Loial, learning about Lan’s tragic past, Lan and Nyneave’s declaration of love, Loial singing to the Green Man's tree, and so many others.
  
• What did you think about the final big climax of the series? On my first read I was very confused (but I was also pretty young- middle school maybe?) but it makes complete sense to me now. How did it come across to those of you who read it for the first time?
  
• I can't believe that I forgot where this book ended. I kept thinking that there was more coming, but all the exciting things I'm remembering must happen at the beginning of book 2 ... which makes me want to continue on with the series yet again. :)
  
  

About the rest of the series (spoiler free!) …

• A big theme in this series is the fluidity of truth over time and space – how a story that is passed from person to person will change the farther it gets from the physical location where it happened and the time in which it happened – add this to the cyclical nature of time in this series and you have a wonderfully complicated web/wheel of myths and legends continually changing and repeating themselves.
• There are characters, plots, and tidbits of info introduced in this book that become very important later in the series (sometimes MUCH later); it is so much fun to reread this series because there is ALWAYS something else that I catch that I’d missed before. A few things that become important later include: the story of Artur Hawkwing, the woman who tried to kill Rand and Matt, and the death of Hopper, the Green Man's comments to Rand, and so on.
  
• And just as a side note, the trollocs are really creepy in this book but so much happens in the rest of the series that the trollocs become almost laughable as time goes by.
• I read most of the series as it came out and got very frustrated with several of the more recent books; it seemed like things were going nowhere and taking forever to get there. However, reading the books straight through (rather than with a year or two in between) has made me love the series more than ever. Things really ARE going somewhere and it really ISN'T taking that long when you read the books one after the other.
  

Do you have any thoughts on the things I've posted? Maybe you have other questions you'd like to discuss? Post your thoughts and questions in the comments, then tune in to the show to discuss it all with me!

January '10 Recap

Welcome to the end of the first month of 2010 ... and I can't believe I just said that. Here's what I was able to accomplish book-wise this month:


Books - 5 (1,827 pages)

• Volsungasaga - 120 pages - a rather unique ancient Norse epic
• Warbreaker - 592 pages - fantastic stand-alone fantasy novel
• Out of Africa and Out of Africa - 462 pages - beautifully written short stories about 1930s Africa
• Shanghai Girls - 336 pages - about the relationship between two sisters who escape China during WWII and settle in San Fransisco
• The Cruelest Miles - 317 pages - true story of the 1925 Serum Run dogsled relay in Alaska

Audio Books - 3 (32.25 hours)

• Half Broke Horses - 8 hours - a prequel of sorts to THE GLASS CASTLE, but not as good
• Isak Dinesen - 21.5 hours - biography of the interesting life of the famous author of OUT OF AFRICA
• The Pearl - 2.75 hours - I was not a fan of this Steinbeck story at all

Other Stats

• Kiddo turned 8 this month and he was also featured in our local newspaper in a story about playing ice hockey despite health problems.
• I celebrated my 2nd blogiversary this month and also posted goals for the upcoming year.
• My dare-ees are progressing nicely on their reading and movie watching ... at least, those who are still up for the dare are!
• Kiddo and I haven't been reading much this month at all ... maybe a chapter or two of THE TITAN'S CURSE, but that's about it. Between family health issues, school, hockey, birthdays, and snow, our schedule has been go go go all month. Hopefully February will allow me more time to schedule in some reading together.
• Oh, and I finally took my Christmas decorations down on January 23. Sad that it took me so long, isn't it? It was getting rather embarrassing ...

That's all I've got for this month. Hope your January was a good one. :)

Quick comment on LOST

For those who don't know, I am a huge fan of the TV show LOST. I've also been helping to run the LOST Books Reading Challenge for about a year. The challenge has it's own blog - which you can check out here - where we recap the episodes, link to other recaps, and share our thoughts on the books mentioned in the show.

Even if you are not part of the Challenge I'd love for you to check out the blog, link to your own recaps, and chime in with comments whenever you have something to say!

The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway
audiobook: 2.75 hours

*** About the Book ***

An old Cuban fisherman has been on a long unlucky streak; he's gone 84 days without catching a marlin. After 40 days without a catch, his young helper was forced to go to another boat and the old man had to fish alone. On the 85th day the old man's luck returns and he hooks the largest marlin he's ever seen, larger even than his little boat. The man struggles against the fish for three days - will he succeed in hauling it in? If he does, how will he get it back to shore? Will it be the fish or the man (or both) who loses a life?


*** Why I Read It ***

I've had this book on my TBR list for years. A while back I got a copy from the library, read a few pages, and promptly lost the book; it never turned up. I didn't think I'd really enjoy Hemingway but I knew this was a classic story and that I'd have to give it a shot. When I noticed it was available on audio at the library I decided now was the time. Plus I found out that it counts toward the 1% Well Read Challenge.


*** My Thoughts ***

Can I tell you how much I LOVED this story?! It was ... um ... amazing? heart-wrenching? beautiful? incredible? I can't decide how to describe it, I just know that I loved it.

I'm sure you are wondering what it is that is so great about this book. I loved the way the old man talked to himself, had conversations between his spoken word and his thoughts, while he was out at sea alone. I loved the physical contest between the old man and the marlin, and the respect the old man had for the fish and the ocean. I loved the way the story unfolded, even though I can't tell you more because it would spoil it for you. I loved the simple yet powerful language Hemingway used. And I even loved Frank Muller's narration (even though I disliked his work in the past); his storytelling style was different than I'd heard him use previously and it worked very well here.


*** Your Thoughts ***

Are you a Hemingway fan? If so, tell me if this story is like any of his other works. Which ones should I try out next? If you are not a fan, I'd love to know why not.

If you'd like more opinions on this book check out these reviews:

• Lost in Books really liked this one
• Plays With Needles loved it and recommended it to her husband and son
• Rhinoa's Ramblings was swept away by the story
• Rebecca Reads found many life lessons here
  

THIB: Details of my show, and a request

Did you remember that I'm going to be on the blog talk radio show That's How I Blog next week? Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Feb. 9 @ 10pm EST and be sure to tune in!

You can get the details of the show - including the call-in number for the book discussion - at this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thats-how-i-blog.

*** Request: If you have any questions you'd like me to answer during the show please email them to the hostess, Nicole, at nicole [at] linussblanket [dot] com - don't leave me hanging, email some questions! ***

My East Coast pals might be wondering why the show is starting so late. There are two reasons. First, I wanted to give the West Coast people a chance to join us. Second, and more importantly, LOST is on at 9pm EST and I simply cannot miss it!

For those who are new to the THIB show, here's how it works, step by step.

• On the night of the show go to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thats-how-i-blog.
• At 10pm, click on the link that says "Heather J. of Age 30+ ... A Lifetime of Books dishes on books, blogging and book blogging" - this brings you to the show itself.
• If you can't hear anything you may have to refresh your page.
• You can simply listen in or you can join the conversation in the chat room or on the phone.
• To join the chat room, scroll down the page until you see the comments being posted. There is a way to join in but don't remember exactly how at the moment. It should be fairly self-explanatory though!
• If you want to call in, either during my interview or during the book discussion, dial the phone number near the top of the page (it's to the right of the title of the show).
• The interview will last for about an hour, I think, then the book discussion will begin. We'll be talking about Robert Jordan's epic fantasy, THE EYE OF THE WORLD. I'd love to have lots of you to chat with so please do call in!
  

I'm working on a list of discussion questions/topics for the book discussion - I hope to have it posted over the weekend so you have time to think about your answers.

I can't wait to chat with Nicole and the rest of you - this is so exciting!

Book Blogger Con + A Top 10 List

Guess what? I’M GOING TO THE BOOK BLOGGER CONVENTION IN NEW YORK IN MAY!!! Can you tell I’m excited?! I didn’t think this would work out but it has and I’ve already registered – woohoo!

(The next step is to find a roommate (actually, I need 3 of them) and book my hotel. Is anyone else looking for a roomie? Please comment or email me ASAP!!!)

In honor of the convention being in New York City, Fizzy Thoughts is hosting an NY-themed reading challenge. The challenge is open to everyone whether or not you are attending the convention so do check out the details.

February’s challenge activity is to make a list of things I love about NYC so here goes …


The Top 10 Things I Love About New York

1. My mom’s Brooklyn accent – Even after being away for 30+ years, she still has it. Here are a few examples: Heather = HETH-ah, water = WWA-tah, here = HE-ah, coffee = CWA-fee, sophomore = SOUTH-more, whore = WHO-ah
2. L&B’s Pizzeria and Spumoni Garden – just around the block from where my aunt used to live in Brooklyn, they have THE BEST pizza I’ve ever tasted – we used to buy 2 full-size Sicilian pizzas (you need 4 huge boxes for this) and drive back to Maryland with it to share with all our family here
3. Italian Pastry Shops – they make THE BEST 7-layer cookies – I used to get a box just for myself anytime we visited
4. Fresh Bagels – if you get up early enough (or make someone else do it) you can have a big paper bag of freshly made bagels with an assortment of spreads that you can linger over all morning long
5. Family History – several of my aunts and uncles still live where they did when my mom was growing up – visiting them, I get a look at what it was like for her when she was growing up with several sets of cousins within a 5 block radius
6. Sitting on the Stoop – my aunts would bring lawn chairs outside their apartment entrances and people watch all day long, putting their noses into everyone’s business up and down the block – I thought this was hilarious when I was a kid
7. Around the Block – it seems like everything you need is just “around the block” – there’s no need to drive somewhere, you can just walk
8. Street Music – especially around the tourist areas there are always musicians and performers on the streets, and some of them are REALLY good
9. Ellis Island – this is a must-see for everyone – the history of this place is amazing, and there are so many heartwarming and heartbreaking things to see
10. Lady Liberty – if you haven’t been to the Statue of Liberty then you are really missing out – yes there are lines and yes there are a LOT of steps but it is all worth it

Those are the things I love about New York. What do YOU love? And if you're planning to go to (or considering) the convention please let me know!

Robin Maxwell on Juliet and Romeo

Today I'm featuring a guest post from Robin Maxwell, author of the new novel O, JULIET.

First let me tell you a bit about the book:

Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage into the Medici dynasty, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that takes flight in the privacy of her bedchamber and on her garden balcony.

Her life and destiny are forever changed when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars.

And now a few words from Robin on why she chose to write about Juliet and Romeo.

A lot of readers have asked me why, when I've always written about historical figures, did I decide to tackle literary figures, and particularly ones immortalized by Shakespeare. I think the actual light bulb moment came when I read that another author had written an historical fiction called LADY McBETH. I thought, “Hell, what an amazing idea!” I had loved another fiction using a literary figure — AHAB’S WIFE — and my mind zip-zipped to that before coming back to Shakespeare. It was hardly a moment before I realized that “Romeo and Juliet” had never been written as a novel. I couldn’t believe my good luck. I whipped out a brief proposal which everybody — agents, editors, publisher — adored, and got right to work. Shortly I discovered that Romeo and Juliet were “in the ozone,” with the second “Twilight” movie (“New Moon”) filled with references and themes from the Bard’s play; Pop star Taylor Swift’s award-winning “Love Song,” about the famous couple, “Letters to Juliet” (a modern day romantic drama to be released in May); and a more-contemporary-than-medieval novel called JULIET being published in August.

Was I nervous about appropriating two of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters for my own? How could I not be? One device I used to make a literary distinction from the master was to make Romeo and Juliet not only amateur poets themselves, but to both be devotees of Dante (the middle ages’ greatest “rock star”). I used Dante’s beautiful (but little known) love poetry liberally in O, JULIET. My detractors are having a field day repeating that “Ms. Maxwell is no Shakespeare,” but DUH…who in their right mind would ever attempt that? I was also, according to my critics, “attempting to fix what was not broken.” But my purpose was simply to shed some light on the lives of everyones’ favorite star-crossed lovers, and I must say, I’m very pleased and proud of my efforts.

Other readers wonder how it was to be writing about a fictional woman and what were the qualities that made her as strong a heroine as the women in my previous novels. I would say that all my heroines are the “strong-willed-woman-ahead-of-her-time-who-is-looking-for-a-marriage-for-love” — everyone from Anne Boleyn and the young Elizabeth (SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN, VIRGIN, MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN) to Grace O’Malley (THE WILD IRISH), to Princess Bessie of York and Nell Caxton (TO THE TOWER BORN), to Caterina da Vinci (SIGNORA DA VINCI). Even though Juliet’s accomplishments may seem minor compared to Anne’s (the Reformation), Elizabeth (the English Renaissance and conquering the Spanish Armada) and Grace O’Malley (pirate, gun-runner, troop transporter and “Mother of the Irish Rebellion”), Juliet’s courage in defying her family and repressive society in order to be with the man she loved was HUGE. This was a girl (daughter of a merchant) who, from the time she was born, would have been barely allowed to leave her father house (except to go to confession and the occasional social gathering) until the day she married her parents’ choice of a husband, after which she would have continued to remain cloistered in his house till the day she died. Relatively speaking, what Juliet accomplished with her rebellion was enormous.

Thank you, Robin, for sharing that with us. I hope you all enjoyed hearing from Robin!

I've heard great things about O, JULIET - have you read it yet?

Contest Winners

I never officially announced the winner of the contest for THE EYE OF THE WORLD by Robert Jordan. Congrats to Kelly in Pennsylvania! She should have received the book by now ... I hope she's enjoying it.

The winner of the contest for SHANGHAI GIRLS by Lisa See is Chip of Mommy of 1 and Counting. Once I have your address the book will be on it's way to you. I hope you like it!

The Cruelest Miles

The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs

and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
by Gay Salisbury & Laney Salisbury
317 pages

*** About the Book ***

This is a non-fiction account of the 1925 Serum Run. The ice bound town of Nome, Alaska was stuck with an outbreak of diphtheria, "the strangling disease", which mainly affects children and is often fatal. The vital anti-serum had to be shipping from Seattle by train approximately 2,000 miles into Alaska; from there it was transported over 600 miles via dogsled in a blizzard in just over 5 days - a feat that was practically a miracle.

The book describes the development of dog-sledding in Alaska, other outbreaks of diphtheria, and of course the Serum Run itself. Attention is given to the men who participated in the dog-sled relay and to their experiences afterward.


*** Why I Read It ***

Back in January '09 I wrote about some books I wanted to read and mentioned that I love books about disease and about the polar regions. In her comment on my post Dreamybee suggested two books that I might enjoy, THE CRUELEST MILES being one of them. Based on that comment I got a copy from Paperbackswap.com and have had it on my bookshelf since July. As part of the TBR 2010 Challenge I'm working on reading books I already own so this was the perfect choice.


*** My Thoughts ***

I'd heard of the Serum Run and seen the cartoon based on it (see the trailer below) but that was all I really knew about this event in history. I definitely learned a lot from reading this book and I enjoyed it as well. It is exactly the type of non-fiction I enjoy: well-written, engaging, and about a topic I find interesting.

The book's format worked well for me. Chapters alternated between the developing outbreak of diphtheria and the history of Nome and dog-sledding. The historical chapters were helpful to me because they provided background that made the outbreak, it's repercussions, and the delivery of the serum easy to understand. Another important storyline was the conflict between technology and tradition, with opposing factions pushing for the serum to either be delivered by plane (air deliveries were then being introduced in Alaska) or by dog-sled.

The parts I enjoyed the most were the sections that focused on the dog-sled drivers themselves. Not much is known about many of the men who participated in the Serum Run. Although some were quite famous, most of them lived quiet lives and got very little media attention after the fact. The famous ones were VERY famous though; it was interesting (and at times sad) to read how their lives changed in the following years. But it was the fate of some of the dogs that really got to me. There definitely were not happy endings all around, although there were some good things that happened.

It's strange how the circumstances in which you're reading can sometimes make or break a book. The events of the Serum Run took place in late January/early February 1925; I was reading the book in late January during very cold weather, so that enhanced my enjoyment quite a bit. At the same time, I had strep throat so bad that it was almost impossible to swallow, so reading about children with diphtheria who were slowly strangling to death as their throats became covered in a mucus membrane was even more chilling to me.


*** Movies ***

The story of the Serum Run was made into a cartoon called Balto in 1995. Although it is a cute story it is only very loosely based on fact. Still, it gets the point across and it is fun to watch. Here's a trailer in case you've never seen it.




*** Your Thoughts ***

The only post I could find about this book was a list of recommendations from Dreamybee. In it she mentions that her memory of the doctor could be off, and I have to say that it is. The doctor had actually ordered a new case of serum several months before the outbreak but it never came in on the delivery ships.

Are you familiar with the history of the Serum Run? Have you read this book? Seen the cartoon? Is there a time or place in history that you seem to read about all the time, like me with my fixation on the polar regions?