Tales From Sliver Lands

Title: Tales From Silver Lands

Author: Charles J. Finger

Pages: 225

Genre: Children's Fiction, Newbery Award, Short Stories, Fairy Tales

Grade: B

Synopsis: This book is a collection of 19 tales that the author collected and compiled from Central and South America.  Many of the fairy tales are similar to fairy tales that we're familiar with, while others are more unique.

My Review: I was a little nervous for this book, but it exceeded my expectations (or rather, my judging the book by it's cover).  First off, I couldn't find the book at any of the libraries close to my house, so I requested it through an interlibrary loan and it ended up coming from BYU's library (an book from the original 1924 printing, no less).  Secondly, the book does not have very many reviews on goodreads (at least for being a Newbery Award winner) and most of the reviews were fairly critical.  I didn't love the book, but it was an easy read, most of the stories were only 10-15 pages long and they weren't all that bad.

You Are Not a Stranger Here

Title: you are not a stranger here

Author: Adam Haslett

Pages: 240

Genre: Short Stories, Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis:  This book is a collection of 9 short stories, some of which have previously been published in The Atlantic or other magazines.  The topics the stories covered is quite varied ranging from mental illness and estranged families to homosexuality and death.  Each story was unique and short enough to read in one sitting.

My Review:  Every once in a while I find it refreshing to pick up a book of short stories.  Most of the short stories in this book left me wanting more, which I often find to be a hallmark of a good short story, although at other times it can be frustrating.  Most of the stories in this book left me thinking for a few minutes at the end of the story.  Both about things that may have happened next and about things in the story itself.

King Solomon's Mines

Title: King Solomon's Mines

Author: H. Rider Haggard

Pages: 264

Genre: Adventure, Classic

Grade: B+

Synopsis: This book was written in the space of just a couple of months as a result of a 5 shilling wager between two brothers. Haggard had bragged to his brother that he could write a better novel than Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. At first rejected by a few publishers, it was finally published in 1885 and became the year's best selling book with the publisher unable to keep the shelves stocked. With that preface, I was fairly intrigued by this book that I had never even heard of (it was a random pickup from the library shelves).

Allan Quatermain was an adventurer living in Durban (now a part of South Africa), he is approached by another white man with a request to help him track down his brother who had left on an expedition to try and find the fabled ancient mines of King Solomon. The excursion requires a dangerous trek across a long desert (remember, this is long before motorized vehicles or other modern conveniences) and the travelers are required to defend themselves against the natives, many who have never seen white men before.

My Review: I was surprised by this 19th century gem. It was surprisingly good for being the first African adventure book published in English.  The book was very engaging and imaginative and fulfilled my need for a good adventure book.

Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 487

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The novel takes place in a future Chicago, that has been transformed into a dystopian city where everybody lives in one of five factions.  When Beatrice Prior turns 16 she, along with all other 16-year-olds, must choose which faction in which to spend her life. The majority of youth choose to stay within their own faction as find a place within another faction is challenging, but Beatrice feels the pull of something greater.

My Review: This book is in a similar vein as The Hunger Games where teenagers are growing up in an imagined world that is both similar and different to our own.  I didn't find myself loving the book or the writing style, but I did enjoy the story and became attached Beatrice Prior.