Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

9 Stars

"When Lady Saren refuses to marry a man she fears, she and her maid, Dashti, are locked in a tower with just a tiny flap open to the outside world. As food runs low and the weather changes from broiling hot to unbearably cold, it is all Dashti can do to make them comfortable in their dark prison. Not long after their confinement begins, Saren's suitors arrive--one welcome, the other less so--and she orders Dashti to speak to them. Impersonating Lady Saren is a crime punishable by death, but Dashti will have to play the role many times if she is to save them both from the tower and the dangers outside. As she takes control of their desperate situation, Dashti begins to understand her own astonishing talents and believe that even a low-born maid can find true love." (Taken from the back cover.)

Shannon Hale has definitely joined the ranks of authors whose works I will always seek out. And this book is among her best. Her heroines are likable; they are sometimes confident (without being brassy or obnoxious) and sometimes shy-violets (without being self-deprecating) and sometimes unsure of who they are and who they want to be (without being WHINY). I also appreciate the thought that goes into her settings. This book is set in a medieval pseudo-Mongolia. A world that is very unlike most other young adult fiction, but that still draws you in and makes you WANT to know more about it. I liked this enough that I will probably reread it soon (tempted to pick it up again tonight, just to see if I missed anything!), and manages to leave you guessing about how she will resolve all of the threads she's weaving.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

9 Stars

"Every so often I need out--away from all these people I love most in the world--in order to regain a sense of proportion. My special place is a small brook in a green glade, a circle of quiet from which there is no visible sign of human beings. . . . [there] I move slowly into a kind of peace that is indeed marvelous, annihilating all that's made to a green thought in a green shade." (Taken from the text.)

I have a hard time classifying this as a biography--it is a series of sketches from Madeleine L'Engle's life. But, she explores so much more than her own life here that "biography" just doesn't quite cut it. She weaves in stories from all ages in a seemingly random pattern and then ties them all in to a gorgeous tapestry of words. A consummate author giving guidance and advice from her own world to the budding writer, the artist within. This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

Warning: "A Circle of Quiet" is not for the faint of heart. Though the cover looks placid, L'Engle runs through some fairly deep and turbulent topics. She writes about things that are not easy to talk and think about--things that often don't have cut and dry answers. And, while she covers all these topics with the same practical, everyday wisdom, they are only easy to bear reading about because you can feel the strength of her own humanity with you on your trip through them.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

Expert Rating: 9 stars

Newcomer Rating: 5 stars

"It is the winter of Warren's ninth year. Outside in the yard, he and his little sister, Bertie, are playing in the snow. Warren is catching snowflakes. One at a time at first. Then he is scooping them up by handfuls. He starts to pack them into a ball. As the snowball grows bigger, he places it on the ground. Slowly it begins to roll. He gives it a push, and it picks up more snow. He pushes the snowball across the lawn, piling snow on snow. Soon he reaches the edge of the yard. After a moment of hesitation, he heads off, rolling the snowball through the neighborhood. And from there, Warren continues onward, casting his eye on a whole world full of snow." (Taken from page inside book prior to Table of Contents)

The Newcomer Rating is so low, not because the book wouldn't interest lots of different people, but because it is 838 pages long. At that length, you have to be pretty interested to pick up the book.

The expert rating is not a 10 because the last few chapters are almost entirely about Susie Buffett's battle with cancer. Those chapters were pretty long and drawn out. Some of the other chapters were more detailed than they needed to be but they didn't seem as drawn out as the last few.

Warren Buffett may be the only man to become a myth during his own lifetime. Even Elvis waited until he was dead. That is one of the reasons I love reading biographies. It is easy to forget how similar we all are as human beings. It is also easy to look at someone living a lifestyle like Warren Buffett's and forget the work (and craziness) it took to get to that point. Biographies give you a look into the thought process, the hidden actions, the overlooked details that make a person who they are.

This biography points out a lot of the small, cumulative, dedicated things that Buffett did that led to his success. The fascinating part of it, however, is looking into his personality. You get to see his relationships and how they affected him. It becomes apparent how Buffett became not only one of the wealthiest men in the world, but also one of the most respected. His extreme dedication to his pursuit of money caused him to hurt those closest to him without really meaning to. He spent many years recovering his relationship with Susie (his first wife) and their children. However, that same dedication made it so he built his life honestly and in such a way that no one could fault him for the incredible success he has had.

In the book he makes a comment about how he always read books about great people and tried to glean wisdom from their lives. He tried to learn from great men and women's lives so that he could be better. That is another reason I love biographies and one of the reasons I love this book. Warren Buffett's biography holds many little tidbits about life, business, money, relationships, dedication, and honesty. Some may read it and be motivated to pursue his ambitious goal of accumulating great wealth. Others will come out having learned lessons about "the business of life" and the things that really matter.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

9 stars

Plot from amazon.com:
To keep a treaty made long ago, the king of Idris must send his daughter to marry Susebron, the God King of Hallandren. Loath to part with his eldest daughter, Vivenna, King Dedelin instead sends his youngest daughter, tomboyish 17-year-old Siri, who struggles to make sense of the schemers and spies in Susebron's court. Hoping to rescue her sister, Vivenna joins a group of Idrian operatives with questionable motives. As Vivenna comes to terms with her magical abilities, resurrected hero Lightsong questions the role of the undead Returned Gods, who command Hallandren's mighty army of zombie soldiers.

Warbreaker is a truly unique fantasy novel. Within these pages you won't find any fireballs, wizards, elves, or the like. Instead, you will find a system of magic based on color and Breath, a new world that includes men who die and come back to life as Gods, clothes that move as if alive, a religion that fears color, and many other unique and intriguing surprises.

Perhaps the highest praise I can give to Warbreaker is that I was truly surprised by some of the plot twists. I don't know about you, but sometimes books, especially fantasy books, are all too predictable. I didn't have this problem with Warbreaker. Once or twice there were true “huwhaaaaaaat!?!?!?!?!?!?” moments. The characters within Warbreaker are unique, complex, and believable, as is the world they live in. Finally, there were moments that made me laugh out loud. I'm usually not a laugh-while-reading kind of person, so this too is high praise.

Anyone who loves fantasy =needs to read Brandon Sanderson. In addition to Warbreaker, Sanderson has also written The Mistborn Trilogy and Elantris, which I also greatly enjoyed. I happen to own The Mistborn Trilogy and Elantris and anyone who wants to can borrow them.