Reading Challenge - 66 to 70

66 - Minority Report by Philip K. Dick

This is actually a short story, although I have it as a book. A very small book, that can be read in a flash. But that doesn't mean it's light or simple.

There is much going on on this book. Not only it deals with paradoxes and alternate futures, there is also ethics and philosophy woven in it. The end is not surprising, but the build up to it is great, so much that there is no desire to put the book down.

I really wished that this story was written as a novel, not a short story, because what I got was a taste of something good, and I'd love to read more on this.

(4/5)

[Full Review]

67 - Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

Castle in the Air is a sequel to companion to book set in the same world as book written by Diana Wynne Jones where Howl also appears. I loved Howl's Moving Castle, so I really was expecting more of the same in this book. And I really shouldn't have because this book is not about Howl, and he is not even important to the story.

If I started this book with expectations of a story with the characters from the first book, by the time one of them finally appeared I only wanted to know about these new amazing characters.

This is a good book, one that I feel that everyone should read – young and adult readers alike.

(4/5)

[Full Review]

68 - Last of the Wilds by Trudi Canavan

Last of the Wilds is the second book on the Age of the Five trilogy. Priestess of the White ended with the aftermath of the religious war between the Circlians and Pentadrians.

What I liked on the first book is exactly what I liked on this one. The third side of the matter, the world-building, the different races, and the emotional struggle of the characters regarding their beliefs and their way of living. It is all there, and then some more.

[Full Review]

(4/5)

69 - Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

This is a collection of fantastical short-stories, divided into two books. There is no connection between the stories, and not all of them are good. But a lot of them are great.

Borges does have a special ability to write about fictional things in a way that makes you believe it is real, no matter how fantastical it seems. There are stories of impossible books and inexistent encyclopaedias of inexistent nations, of men that are not men, of lotteries, of labyrinths and infinity and libraries.

These stories are somewhat philosophical, and they do make you think. I hope to keep on reading books by Jorge Luis Borges.

(4/5)

70 - Artemis Fowls: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

It has been years since I last read Artemis Fowl. And boy, it's good to be back to that world of fairies and 12 years old (well, now 14) evil masterminds.

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code is a really nice book. Eoin Colfer's writing is quirky and the story is fun – you never notice that time is passing while you read it. And you don't have to be an young adult to enjoy it!

(4/5)

[Full Review]

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code

It has been years since I last read Artemis Fowl. And boy, it's good to be back to that world of fairies and 12 years old (well, now 14) evil masterminds.

In this 3rd instalment on the series, Artemis is trying to make one last crime before he embraces his father's wish to start a clean business. While Artemis is not exactly ready to give up the shady world where he has been making his name, he will put that aside (for the time being, of course) to enjoy finally being able to spend time with his father. He has a built a device, using fairy technology, and is ready to strike a deal with Jon Spiro, a Chicago businessman (and mobster-like entrepreneur). Of course things go wrong and Artemis has to, once again, rely on the help of his fairy friends.

Artemis Fowl is a young adult series, but that is very fun to read. There is a mix of fantasy and science fiction, as well as a bit of cyberpunk thrown in there. It can be very quirky and plot-y, and Artemis is a great character. Morally grey (and leaning towards evil), it is refreshing to have a hero that isn't a well of virtues. He is a genius and is arrogant about it; he uses his brains to personal gain, with no problem about being ruthless, and he is proud of it. Doesn't seem like a very likeable character, does it? But the fact is, I can't help but love him. Most of the fun of the series is about Artemis becoming a slightly better person – although still not exactly a good-doer.

The Eternity Code is a nice book, maybe not as good as the first two on the series, but still very enjoyable. All the regular characters are there, not only Artemis, but also Butler, Captain Holly Short, Foaly, Mulch Diggums and Commander Root – it's really nice to encounter them again. I'm quite partial to Buttler, Holly and Foaly, but in this book Mulch was very important and I got to appreciate his character a lot more.

Like I said, it has been years since I read Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident – probably close to 10 years – but it was really easy to come back to that world. If at first I couldn't recall much about some of the minor characters, three chapters into the book I had remembered it all.

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code is a really nice book. Eoin Colfer's writing is quirky and the story is fun – you never notice that time is passing while you read it. And you don't have to be an young adult to enjoy it!

(4/5)

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