Every month the readheads pick one book that all three of us read and review. Our book for August is Lev Grossman’s The Magicians.

Synopsis from Publisher’s Weekly:

Quentin Coldwater, a Brooklyn high school student devoted to a children’s series set in the Narnia-like world of Fillory, is leading an aimless existence until he’s tapped to enter a mysterious portal that leads to Brakebills College, an exclusive academy where he’s taught magic. Coldwater, whose special gifts enable him to skip grades, finds his family’s world mundane and domestic when he returns home for vacation. He loses his innocence after a prank unintentionally allows a powerful evil force known only as the Beast to enter the college and wreak havoc. Eventually, Coldwater’s powers are put to the test when he learns that Fillory is a real place and how he can journey there. Genre fans will easily pick up the many nods to J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis, not to mention J.R.R. Tolkien in the climactic battle between the bad guy and a magician.

Check back at the end of the month to see what we thought of this work!

I’ve been pretty bad about reviewing our past books of the month, which is unfortunate because I actually have read all of them! To save you from some epic tl;dr and as the only way to finally be done with these books, I’m jamming them all into one post. This way I can give some short commentary instead of headdesking my way through full-fledged reviews for each book.

January’s book of the month was Timothy Ferris’ Coming of Age in the Milky Way. The book elegantly recounts our species’ interest in space, from ancient Sumerians and Greeks through Copernicus to modern-day theoretical physicists. While our knowledge of the universe seems infinitely superior to our ancestors, Ferris reminds us that:

Science is young. whether it will survive long enough to become old depends upon our sanity and courage and vigor, and, as one always must add in this nuclear age, upon whether we blow ourselves up first. “Nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse,” as Sophocles said, and the knowledge of how the stars shine is very great, and its dark side is very dark indeed.

I love Ferris’ writing style throughout this book, especially when recounting the more personal histories of various scientists. Genius did seem to walk hand in hand with madness (or at least extreme eccentricity) for Kepler, Newton, etc… and Ferris’ gently amusing treatment of them made their stories all the more enjoyable. In fact, I loved his writing so much I recently purchased another book of his, called Seeing In the Dark – all about backyard astronomers. I strongly believe that the communications gap (more like gaping chasm, really) between scientists and non-scientists needs to be closed, and if there were only more writers like Ferris, that would happen all the more quickly.

Final Grade: A

In April we read another nonfiction, David Grann’s The Lost City of Z. Grann intertwines two epic voyages in one double biography. The first was British explorer Percy Fawcett’s quest to find an ancient, beautiful, and wondrously rich civilization called “Z” that was supposedly hidden in the Amazon jungle – instead, his entire party disappeared and despite following searches, no clues were ever discovered as to their fate. The second voyage was Grann’s own attempt to retrace the explorer’s steps some 75 years later to discover what happened to the missing expedition. Neither journey lacked for adventure; in fact, the entire history of the search for Z is one larger-than-life story after another:

[E]verything in this story is true: a movie star really was abducted by Indians; there were cannibals, ruins, secret maps, and spies; explorers died from starvation, disease, attacks by wild animals, and poisonous arrows; and at stake amid the adventure and death was the very understanding of the Americas before Christopher Columbus came ashore in the New World.

I enjoyed each story Grann told – his writing was perfectly suspenseful, mysterious, amusing, and serious in all the right places – but the format really didn’t work for me. Much like our February’s book of the month, Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, the biographies alternate every chapter. For the White City, this worked beautifully. For Lost City of Z, not so much. For me the difference was that Larson’s stories were synchronous and both in the third person, while Grann’s stories were asynchronous and awkwardly shifting from first person to third. About 80 pages in I finally realized I was going to have to read Fawcett’s story all the way through first, and then come back to read Grann’s. When read in this way, the book flowed much more smoothly and was immensely more enjoyable.

Final Grade: B

Last month’s book choice was The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. The premise behind this book is that it is a collection of statements made by acquaintances, friends, and family of a murder victim named Athena. It’s only by tying all perspectives together that the reader can begin to understand Athena’s existence.

Who knows, perhaps she sought death the way a shipwrecked victim sees an island. She must have stood late at night in many a Tube station, waiting for muggers who never came. She must have walked through the most dangerous parts of London in search of a murderer who never appeared or perhaps tried to provoke the anger of the physically strong, who refused to get angry. Until finally, she managed to get herself brutally murdered.

After beginning with her death, the transcripts then move forward chronologically from her adoption at a young age, to her early marriage and career restlessness, to her search for her birth mother and the Mother goddess, all of which stemmed from an intrinsic wanderlust that she could never satisfy.

Having previously been impressed by Coelho’s The Alchemist, I was really looking forward to this book, and I was only very slightly disappointed in my expectations. I sometimes felt that description needlessly overpowered the plot, slowing the story down without enriching my appreciation of the objects described. However, the flow of Athena’s story was impressively smooth, given the shifting narrative voices, and the surprising twist at the end of the book was neither too obvious nor too out of left field, leaving me pleased that my suspicions were correct. In the end the novel was not about Athena at all, but about her impact on those telling her story.

Final Grade: B

Every month the readheads pick one book that all three of us read and review. Our book for June is Erica Bauermeister’s first novel The School of Essential Ingredients.

Synopsis from Publisher’s Weekly:

In this remarkable debut, Bauermeister creates a captivating world where the pleasures and particulars of sophisticated food come to mean much more than simple epicurean indulgence. Respected chef and restaurateur Lillian has spent much of her 30-something years in the kitchen, looking for meaning and satisfaction in evocative, delicious combinations of ingredients. Endeavoring to instill that love and know-how in others, Lillian holds a season of Monday evening cooking classes in her restaurant. The novel takes up the story of each of her students, navigating readers through the personal dramas, memories and musings stirred up as the characters handle, slice, chop, blend, smell and taste. Each student’s affecting story—painful transitions, difficult choices—is rendered in vivid prose and woven together with confidence. Delivering memorable story lines and characters while seducing the senses, Bauermeister’s tale of food and hope is certain to satisfy.

Have you read The School of Essential Ingredients? We’d love to hear what you thought of this book. Or read it along with us, and be sure to check back at the end of the month to see what we thought!

I thought now would be a good time to share with all of you the top ten authors from my childhood who have had the most influence on not only my literary tastes, but my life (as corny as that sounds). So, in brief:

10. Shel Silverstein (I think I still have “Homework, Oh Homework” still memorized…)
9. The Brothers Grimm (Fairy tales? Yes please!)
8. C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia was the first series I remember completing, and I wanted more!)
7. Roald Daul (Who hasn’t read a Daul book? Seriously.)
6. Meg Cabot (Anything *but* the Princess Diaries series!)
5. Sharon Creech (She took up my entire 6th grade reading life)
4. Sarah Dessen (And she was the rest of middle school!)
3. Robin McKinley (With her amazing narrative and ability to retell classic fairy tales without making me want to go to sleep, McKinley pretty much rocks my world to this day.)
2. Patricia C. Wrede (She introduced me to the idea of the unconventional princess who can take care of herself just fine. I loved it!)
1. Tamora Pierce (Words can’t describe the massive impact this author has had on me. Her characters are wonderful, her stories engaging, and her characters amazing role models. I absolutely love her stuff!)

Who influenced you? Leave a comment and let us know!

See larger image The Song of the Lioness Quartet: Alanna: The First Adventure / In the Hand of the Goddess / The Woman Who Rides Like a Man / Lioness Rampant (Paperback) By (author) Tamora Pierce List Price: $22.00 USD New From: $85.00 In Stock Used from: $27.99 In Stock Release date May 27, 2003.

What if someone looked at you, really looked at you, for the first time in 150 years? How would you feel? And what if you were a ghost, completely unaccustomed to any form of human contact only to get that all back in the span of a few hours? How would you react? Laura Whitcomb’s debut novel, A Certain Slant of Light , examines life, death, love, and friendship from a whole new angle, going deeper into the typical young adult supernatural novel. This is instead a truly wonderful example of young adult gothic.

When you are Light, it is only your emotions that can send a ripple into the tangible world. A flash of frustration when your host closes a novel he is reading too soon might stir his hair and cause him to check the window for a draft. A sigh of mourning at the beauty of a rose you cannot smell might startle a bee away. Or a silent laugh at a misused word might cause a student’s arm to prickle with an inexplicable chill.

This story has all the right elements. There are spirits, mystery, haunting parallels, romance, and even some creepy wind.  I couldn’t help but get the chills while reading this book, and there was no way I could put it down! It was so easy to fall into Helen’s world; to feel her surprise, confusion, pain, and wonder over all of the changes and realizations she was forced to face in the span of only a couple of days. The love and companionship she feels for James, first because he can see her and then because they find they are tied in such a unique way, is wonderfully heartbreaking.

James, like Helen, is a ghost. But unlike Helen, James has taken over the body of a teenage boy in order to get his second chance at life. The soul of that boy had given up and in order to keep the darkness from taking over, James stepped in for control. Originally meant to be a temporary situation, James finds that he cannot leave this body, at least until he comes to terms with things he had long forgotten. It raises the questions of what it truly means to be alive. Helen and James both prove that live is more than just a physical act and they both learn through their host’s bodies that living is also taking everything life throws at you. The two of them experience what life was like for their hosts while at the same time grappling with everything they had gone through.

Whitcomb clearly understands her characters as well as her readers. There are tons of gothic novels that have failed to not only to impress me, but have caused me to simply return them unfinished. The moment I began reading A Certain Slant of Light, I was drawn into the story. The narrative was personable and flowed with ease. The plot was complex but also began with such a simple idea—what it really means to be seen by another being. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone curious about the world of the gothic novel.

Final Grade: A+

See larger image A Certain Slant of Light (Paperback) By (author) Laura Whitcomb List Price: $8.99 USD New From: $2.51 In Stock Used from: $0.44 In Stock

Every month the readheads pick one book that all three of us read and review. Our book for May is Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portobello.

Synopsis from Booklist:

In this deceptively simple novel, a bereaved lover attempts to chronicle, dissect, and comprehend the often-twisted path followed by Athena, otherwise known as the Witch of Portobello Road. An orphaned Romanian gypsy, adopted as an infant by adoring Lebanese parents, Athena recognized and struggled with the power of her magical gifts at an early age. Spurred on by truths and passions inaccessible to most of her contemporaries, she traipsed around Europe and the Middle East in search of acceptance, enlightenment, and a truer path. Developing a cultlike following, she became the object of a modern-day witch hunt that seemingly culminated in tragedy. Unable to construct a typically straightforward chronicle of her life, her would-be biographer relies on the divergent recollections and reflections of the people who knew – or thought they knew – her best.

Have you read The Witch of Portobello? We’d love to hear what you thought of this book. Or read it along with us, and be sure to check back at the end of the month to see what we thought!

Updated: Check out our reviews: Ranjana’s.

Erik Larson’s national bestseller The Devil in the White City is a unique double biography of opposite characters. The chronology of Daniel Burnham’s creation of the 1893 World’s Fair is sharply contrasted with the life of serial killer H.H. Holmes, who was skulking around Chicago at the same time. Larson’s book attempts to combine historical facts with suspenseful narrative – but does he succeed?

Larson’s book is a meticulously researched piece of writing. His attention to detail is seamlessly integrated into the narrative so that the reader appreciates the countless detailed facts without becoming weighted down by them. The flow of the book is extremely smooth, despite the alternating subjects. The only stylistic flaw in Larson’s storytelling is his tendency to end almost all chapters (actually, even section after section) with “dramatic” cliffhanger sentences, many of them as their own petite paragraph. For example:

At midnight, many nights, Mudgett would pace the street outside his lodging.

And,

But even he did not, and could not, grasp what truly lay ahead.

And even,

Which terrified her.

This occurs so often it actually takes away from a story that is already dramatic enough – the extra effect becomes irritating, as though Larson needs to constantly reassure the reader that the subject is interesting. Trust me, America’s first serial killer is interesting! Now calm down, sir.

Despite this one small (though constant) stylistic annoyance, Larson’s book is a fascinating study of two of America’s most interesting historical figures. I can’t claim to have heard of Daniel Burnham before reading, but my new-found admiration for him is entirely due to the power of Larson’s writing. And Larson’s descriptions of H.H. Holmes are equally strong and as creepy as you could hope for. So yes, Larson does successfully interweave the factual history and the fanciful storytelling, making it easy to see why this book is a bestseller. Overall, The Devil in the White City is an entertaining, and at times thrilling and horrifying, look into the heart of America at the turn of the 19th century.

Final Grade: B

See larger image The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (Paperback) By (author) Erik Larson List Price: $15.00 USD New From: $5.00 In Stock Used from: $1.18 In Stock Release date February 10, 2004.

Author and physicist Lee Smolin bravely faces the sad truth about the state of his science in his book The Trouble With Physics. As his introduction makes abundantly clear, “This is a story of a quest to understand nature at its deepest level… To put it bluntly… we have failed.”

Why have physicists failed? And, more importantly, where do they go from here? The heart of Smolin’s book discusses these questions while providing an intricate yet accessible chronology of physics since 1900, when Max Planck famously discovered that energy is quantized and began a new revolution in the field.

The central issues in Smolin’s book revolve around the split between string theory and other theories (loop quantum gravity, etc.) as physicists attempt to determine a unified theory that answers the greatest unsolved problems in theoretical physics. Specifically, they are attempting to unite general relativity with quantum theory into something called “quantum gravity.” (For more details than that, you’ll have to read the book. Trust me, Smolin’s explanation far surpasses any attempt I could make.)

Smolin describes a break between string theorists and other physicists that is responsible for the breakdown of science as an ethical practice.** String theory is now the dominant point of view within the academy such that is is harmful to a physicist’s career to pursue other theories.

Why is this bad, you ask? Isn’t string theory the hottest idea since sliced bread? I certainly thought so – that’s what the The New York Times’ “Science Times” always told me when I was growing up. I found Smolin’s answer surprising and persuasive. Smolin illustrates many issues with string theory – there are no unique testable predictions, there are actually multitudes of different string theories, and there is an insidious pressure felt by young physicists to join the field if they have any hope of successful careers. This has led to a consensus for string theory, but not because the evidence favors it. Smolin argues that this limited focus is damaging to how physics is studied, because science progresses only when researchers pursue multiple avenues of study.

Controversy is essential for the progress of science… When we are forced to reach a consensus by the evidence, we should do so… until the evidence forces consensus, we should encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints… Science proceeds fastest when there are competing theories. [Emphasis added.]

String theory is not a consensus by the evidence, because as mentioned earlier, string theory does not provide testable predictions that are unique to the theory (that cannot be explained just as well by other theories). Smolin sheds light on the fact that the academic community is in many ways closed off to other ideas – a very disturbing issue.

In case you couldn’t tell, I found the subject of Smolin’s book compelling. However, it is more than picking an interesting topic that makes a book great. Whenever I read a nonfiction book about math or science, there are two issues I always attend to first. Will I understand the complexity of the subject? And can I trust that this author is objective? For this book, the answer to both questions is an emphatic “yes!” As someone whose knowledge of physics is more informed by Star Trek than by that one sad year of introductory physics in college, I was surprised and delighted to find the technical aspects Smolin discusses elucidated so well. The clarity of Smolin’s writing greatly increased my understanding and appreciation of his arguments, and further reinforced my own personal belief that the general public can and should understand the modern issues of scientific research.

Because I am not a theoretical physicist (ha!), while reading I had to decide whether Smolin objectively described the rift within the academic community and the pitfalls of string theory’s dominance. Fortunately, his rational arguments supporting all of his points convinced me that he did. Smolin’s own research path has led him to both string theory and other theories, and he is thus able to paint an accurate picture of the crisis in physics today without mud-slinging at any colleagues. Smolin is clear – his issue is with the current paradigm, not his fellow scientists. And this is essential, if there is any hope for his arguments to be heard. I strongly believe they should be.

Final Grade: A+

See larger image The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next (Paperback) By (author) Lee Smolin List Price: $15.95 USD New From: $4.99 In Stock Used from: $3.08 In Stock

Hey y’all, Readhead Reviews is happy to announce a new feature – video posts! In our first post, I give a brief review of a Jane Austen-based book and a preview for a book I’m starting to read about paleontology and dinosaur fossils. Let us know what you think of the post format! I’ve included the video on both Vimeo and Youtube. If the Vimeo format doesn’t work for you, hit the jump to watch the Youtube version!

Books mentioned:

• Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure
• Grave Secrets of Dinosaurs: Soft Tissues and Hard Science

Here’s the Youtube video in case Vimeo didn’t work for you:

Every month the readheads pick one book that all three of us read and review. Our book for April is David Grann’s The Lost City of Z.

Synopsis from Publishers Weekly:

In 1925, renowned British explorer Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett embarked on a much publicized search to find the city of Z, site of an ancient Amazonian civilization that may or may not have existed. Fawcett, along with his grown son Jack, never returned, but that didn’t stop countless others, including actors, college professors and well-funded explorers from venturing into the jungle to find Fawcett or the city. Among the wannabe explorers is Grann, a staff writer for the New Yorker [who] became interested in Fawcett while researching another story, eventually venturing into the Amazon to satisfy his all-consuming curiosity about the explorer and his fatal mission… [T]he book examines the stranglehold of passion as Grann’s vigorous research mirrors Fawcett’s obsession with uncovering the mysteries of the jungle.

Have you read The Lost City of Z? We’d love to hear what you thought of this book. Or read it along with us, and be sure to check back at the end of the month to see what we thought!

Updated: Check out our reviews: Ranjana’s.