Tiddly's Bookshelf

Political Censorship

2010-01-12T03:02:00.000-08:00

Just heard on the radio that the government was to ban Islam4UK. Now, whatever their reasons, that sounds to me like censorship, and has echoes of the Nazi party banning the communist party... Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

2009-12-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

This is the first book in the Old Kingdom series. The book is captivating from the start, with Garth Nix plunging the reader into the story from the outset. An old favourite of mine, and one that I highly recommend.

The book is quite old, in fact (1990 I think), but well worth reading, as a fourth sequel is on the way. The story takes place in a world that is split in two by a wall. One side is technological (Ancilestaire), the other magical (the Kingdom). Necromancy is rife in the kingdom, but the only person who can stop the destruction is trapped far in death.

I highly enjoyed this book, and recommend reading it if you can.

5 stars.

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

2009-12-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

This book was captivating. It is the sequel of Inkheart, a book that was recently turned into a film. However, I found Inkspell a much better book. The book drops the characters into the action right from the start, which leads to an exciting, and above all gripping book. For those who struggled with Inkheart, this book is much more accessible (that doesn't mean skip the first book!), and it is definitely not a struggle to read it. Hope you enjoy it!

4 stars!

Further Notice.

2009-11-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

And this is further notice. As of now, book reviews will start appear, as of when I finish books. The first one: Inkspell by Cornelia Funke. It's a few years old, but the sequel just came out, so I'm rereading the series. Until then,
-tiddlydum

Going to sleep

2009-10-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Because I'm excessively lazy, my blog will be going to sleep until further notice.

Goodnight.

-tiddlydum

Firestarter :Explained

2009-03-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I hadn't posted properly in a while, so I thought I'd post my Dramatic Monologue. I would be interested to know your thoughts, and if you "think me a monster now". Put your reactions in the comments of either post. Thanks!

-Tiddlydum

I released this work under the creative commons, please respect its rights.

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence By Tom Johnson.

Firestarter By Tom Johnson (Myself)

2009-03-12T13:17:00.001-07:00

Do you think me a monster? Of course you do. Of course. They call me Firestarter. You can see the reason; that's why I'm here. You don't know? Then I'll tell you. That building, the one that blazed, its roof dancing with orange flame. I thought it was empty. They told me it was empty.
It wasn't.
I could hear her shouts as the fire caught its prey and started to feast on its timbers.
And then it caught her.
Oh, the screams, those dreadful, desperate screams. Oh, how I wished and hoped and prayed, prayed to a God I never believed in, prayed for the rain to come and the fire to stop and for those terrible, terrible screams to cease their assault on my ears. oh, the guilt that I felt, how i wished to help, but the fire, my devil-child, which I had created with the spark of a flint, was too hot, too fierce, too strong. I hated myself, as I still do, as the fierce yellow flames burned on, consuming the flesh of the girl trapped inside, and the thatch and the timbers of the old wooden house. As I lay on the ground, awash on a sea of guilt, the people came, but they could do nothing. The screams carried on, i don't know how long, until, finaly, the clouds burst, the rain flowed down and doused the fire. With the rain pouring down through the holes in the roof, I plunged into the house, through smoking rooms, to find the girl, a child of 10, looking at me with earnest eyes, horribly burned, but slightly alive. I pulled her out of the smoking rubble, and carried her in my arms. The people came when they heard my shouts, but it was late, too late.
And so i sit here. You now know the reason for this dank, dark cell and these well-deserved shackles binding my wrists and my freedom; and rightly so. The girl's life which I stole, the result of my selfish lust for those golden glorious damned flames. You have heard my story now; What do you think? Judge me again. Do you think me a monster now?

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence by Tom Johnson.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, The Adventures of a Curious Character. By Richard Feynman.

2008-11-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful book and, although it is a biography of a great physicist, It contains almost no science, heaps of comedy, and it's all entirely true.

The life or Richard Feynman is extraordinary. He accompanied ballet with bongos, became a safecracker, and was involved in the Manhattan Project. He also won a Nobel Physics prize.

The book is engaging, entertaining and is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

5 star!

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

2008-10-04T01:33:00.001-07:00

This is the third book in the Earthsea quartet, and a wonderful book. It follows a boy named Arren, and his quest, with Ged.

The book is written in much the same way as the other two that came before it, with an odd use of language. This book makes you think about what wisdom really is, in more ways than one, as Arren and Ged go about their duty. The book is well written, and grips you in a way that you will always want to read more, but the book's use of language can be a challenge at times, and i found myself being reluctant to read it occasionally.

Otherwise it's a good book and a recommended read. It's worth picking the whole quartet up, as it has been published in one book.

I rate this book : 3 star

Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

2008-09-22T10:51:00.001-07:00

The second book in the Earthsea quartet, This book introduces a new land, and a new character. Written from the perspective of a woman in the Kargish lands, rather than from the lands Ged comes from, it describes the life of this woman, then the details of Sparrowhawk's (Ged's ''usename'', to disguise his true name) second quest, as the two come to meet.

The book uses the same writing mode as the last, and may require a little thought over the odd sentence, but this does little ill to the book, as it fits with the story and the times in which it is set. A good reader should have no trouble, and a poor reader will only get better.

Like the previous book, it is a good read, and I recommend it. It is enjoyable, and the story is short enough to capture and keep the reader's attention.

I rate this book 3 star.

The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

2008-09-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

This book is quite old, first published in 1968, but it has retained it's quality, despite it's age. Recommended to me by my father, it is the first part of a quartet.

It follows the early life of a boy named Dunny. He is discovered by the village witch to be able to use magic; and so she trains him. He is later found to be powerful, and is apprenticed by a wizard.

The book questions the meaning of wisdom, as it follows Dunny (true name of Ged, which is used throughout the rest of the book), and his many faults and follies. His master Oginon, is a wise man, yet Ged himself is not, to begin with.

The book's mode of writing is dissimilar to most, and this may be reflected in this review, as the book has left me thinking and writing in the same fashion. To quote an early line, "Much of her lore was mere rubbish and humbug, nor did she know the true spells from the false."

The book is well written, gripping and even if you find it uninteresting, it will still make you think. While the mode of writing is hard to start, it doesn't detract the book's quality and you soon become used to it.
I rate this book 3 star.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2008-06-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Book Thief is a well written beautiful read, that leaves you thinking about it for a long time. The characters are built up bit by bit, letting the reader absorb their profiles, learn their actions, and get to know and love them. It starts with an intriguing hook, the simple phrase;
"Here is a Small Fact : You are going to die". It seems quite morbid to start a book entitled " The Book Thief", and yet is well fitting.

The book is narrated by Death, who occasionally cuts into the story to tell the reader about his unhappy existence. This however doesn't interrupt the narrative, and in fact helps it along.
The book is full of descriptions, and images of all of the characters, scenes and situations that the reader encompasses in the book can be easily built up and fixed in the mind. This is helped by some beautiful metaphors, encountered throughout the book.
I rate this book 4 star
(cover © Markus Zusak / Finn Campbell-Notman / design by Claire Ward)

Sebastian's Voodo

2008-06-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely short animation about a little voodoo doll. he and his friends are in a voodoo workshop, when he has the chance to escape, and save the other dolls from their fate. Created at the UCLA Animation Workshop, with music by Nick Fevola. You can find the video here . Quicktime required.

Flickr

2008-06-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

Now I have a flickr page set up, so I can embed images.

Hello!

2008-06-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

The blog has been set up! I will do other stuff sometime soon, and I will review The Book Thief when I finish it.