Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is an early work by the legendary Arthur C. Clark, written in 1952, and targeted to what we call today the YA audience. It follows the adventures of a 16-year-old boy, who wins a trip to a space station. Unlike many other early "space operas", this book is blessedly free of space battles, unbelievable aliens on every planet in the solar system and damsels in distress. What it DOES have is lots and lots of descriptions of how satellites work, orbital science, and what it's like to live and work in zero gravity. The author is quite good at describing what a 'sunrise' looks like from orbit, and other space-related phenomena. Quite prescient, given that this was written before the first satellite was launched!

However, I do have some nits to pick. First, and most surprising, is that Clark has the space station commander using "an old-fashioned fountain pen" - in ZERO GRAVITY! Fountain pens require gravity to work! I found this mistake shocking, given all his other (mostly accurate) description of zero gravity effects. The other thing that really bothered me was the complete lack of women (other than a movie star). All the 'apprentices' were boys. All the space station crew were men. There weren't even any female nurses in the space hospital! However, given the time the book was written, this is understandable. Regrettable, but understandable. At least he didn't have everyone smoking, as in so many other science fiction works of the same era. (Asimov's Foundation, I'm looking at you!!)

If you are a fan of early Sci-Fi (as I am) this is worth reading. It's not the typical "space opera" of the time, but has lots of good science-based fact and conjecture. But modern young people would probably not be too enthralled by the story.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delightful mystery! Much like The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency, though, it's not a typical mystery. It's more an exploration of life, with gentle philosophic observations, all told while a protagonist (again, a single woman) carries out her duties as a private investigator. And, like Mma Ramotswe, Maisie Dobbs likes to truly help those who come seeking her professional services.



Yet, despite the similarities to that series, this is not a copy, nor even an homage. This book (and, I hope, the series) stands on its own, with its own style and flavor. It is set in England, before during and after WWI. We see the upheaval in class lines that took place during that timeframe, embodied in Maisie's own rise from parlor maid to college-educated professional.



The story is told with real affection for the characters, as well as the time and place. While many of the events that take place are horrific, the writing is so tender that it makes it all quite readable. (The violence of these events is not described, but left to the reader's imagination. This does not lessen their impact, at all.)



I must say, that if you are a fan of Downton Abbey, then you will probably enjoy this book, as it covers much of the same time and place. I certainly enjoyed it enough that I just ordered the next in the series!

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was abut disappointed in this one. It is the first in the Discworld series, and I have read others (they don't have to be read in order) which I really liked (notably "Guards! Guards!) So thought I'd enjoy this one as much. But, I really didn't. Mind you, it wasn't bad and it was even mildly amusing. But, "Aye, there's the rub" - it was only MILDLY amusing. It really didn't sustain it throughout. Still, I will read more in the series. For fans of Douglas Adams, if you haven't read any of the Discworld books, do so! I just don't recommend that you start with this one.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Under the Dome by Stephen King

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. I loved the premise: a small Maine town is suddenly covered by an impenetrable force field and is cut off from the world. Though they can communicate via cell phone and Internet, nothing can get through the 'dome'. The town is forced to survive on it's own, as the government tries to figure out what happened and how to break through. This is a classic "microcosm of society" story - how will the town's citizen's cope, isolated fro the rest of the world? And, much like "The Lord of the Flies", it ain't a pretty picture.

And I guess that's why I didn't enjoy reading it - the bad guys were SO bad (and there were so many of them). It was painful to watch their machinations as they plotted to rule this new 'kingdom'. I think I'm just sensitive to this kind of behavior - as a little girl I didn't like "The Cat in the Hat" because of the bad behavior of the cat and Things 1 and 2. So, you can imagine my discomfort in reading about politically motivated murder, and rape. Just not enjoyable.

AND, the head 'bad guy' is, once again, a self-proclaimed "man of God". The stereotypical Christian hypocrite. Isn't that a WAY overused cliche? It is SO NOT original.

Of course, King is a good enough story teller that I wanted to finish the book - I wanted to find out what caused the dome and if the people got out. But even here, King resorts to an overused Sci-Fi cliche (harkening back to the original Star Trek series, even!).

So, overall, a disappointment for me, and doesn't make me want to rush out and read more King right away, either.