Books I Read This Week

Another week, another reading binge. Here are the three books I read in the past week:

The Affinity Bridge // George Mann

I happened upon this book in the "Reader's Choice" section of our library and checked it out on a whim after skimming the back cover. It turned out to be a very interesting read. Apparently it belongs to a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction called "Steampunk," which I had never heard of before. Allow wikipedia to enlighten us on the subject:

Steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used... that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy.

The story is a combination of mystery and science fiction. It is the kind of story that keeps you wanting more -- despite how bizarre it is. It is a detective story (ala Sherlock Holmes) involving gruesome murders, zombies, and robots. Despite a bit of gratuitous violence (what else can you expect with zombies in the mix?), it was a surprisingly clean read. I didn't want to put it down, reading 334 pages in 2 days, and already wanting a sequel.

Book of a Thousand Days // Shannon Hale

I had no plans to read this book and checked it out simply because the books I had on hold were still "In Transit" and I knew I would want a book to read while we were in Logan for the weekend. This book took a little while to get into, but once the story picked up, I really enjoyed it.

The story is of a maid and her lady who are locked in a tower together. The maid tells the story about their imprisonment and what happens afterward (sorry to spoil it, but they do get out). Once I got through the tower part, the book was a pretty quick read. If you liked The Goose Girl, you might also like this one... but maybe not quite as much.

Mama used to say, you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul.

My Name Is Memory // Ann Brashares

After perusing a list of bestsellers of 2010, I decided on this one. This book is about a romance that spans lives and centuries. It was a good read, despite some more "adult" moments and some occasional foul language. It kept me riveted simply because I wanted to know how these characters were going to work things out... but I admit that I am a little disappointed at the ending. I don't want to ruin too much, but it seems like the author didn't know exactly how to resolve the problems in the story, so instead, she just leaves them wide open. Maybe she intends to write a sequel... I don't know. If so, it has some real potential at redemption. If not, I think the ending really ruins the rest of the book.

It was smell that carried memory... Memories of smell didn't fade, and they short-circuited your entire psychology -- they didn't tunnel through endless experience or get loaded down by any part of your conscious mind. They stitched you instantly and fully to your other times, without regard to sequence.