The Book Blawg

Sandworms of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Well, ok.

First, I should congratulate myself for reading all fourteen Dune novels in less than a year. I don't know how many pages that was, but it was a lot. Of course, this is coming from someone who has read War and Peace twice so I guess it's not too surprising.

So Sandworms was good. It had a plot that moved along. It tied up loose ends and answered questions. I was a little disappointed in the ending - not how it ended, but how the ending was written. Sometimes, I get to the end of a book and get the distinct feeling that the author was just tired of writing it and wanted to finish it up. Or had a deadline. Some of John Grisham's later novels are like that - exciting plot, with the wrap-up coming as almost an afterthought. At the end of Sandworms, we learn the identity of the ultimate Kwisatz Haderach. I was a bit surprised, but so be it. But do you remember the scene in Dune when Paul drank the water of life and could see the paths of the future, and accessed his other memories? Or when Leto II took the sandtrout as his second skin and began his transformation into the worm? This scene, when Duncan Idaho becomes both man and machine, gave me no such feeling of awe. The writing gives me no idea what that must have been like, what impact it had on him or on others. We get facts, but no vision, no gravitas to the most important single moment in the Dune universe.

So I liked it. But it could have been better.

Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding blog posts a nice review of Dr. James McKenna's new book, Sleeping with Your Baby. She's also giving away a copy, if you hurry.

I've just discovered Library Thing, and you can see I've added a widget and a column on the left titled "Recent books from my library". Actually, it is a list of books that I am currently reading, including the ones "up next" and a couple that I will be reading to my 1st grader this year for school.

It's a neat tool. Check it out.

An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths, by Glenn Reynolds.

A great - but not earth-shaking - book about how new technologies are revolutionizing culture and society, from law professor and Instapundit Glenn Reynolds.

Perfect Parenting: The Dictionary of 1000 Parenting Tips, by Elizabeth Pantley.

This book is neat. When you have an issue with a child and just need some ideas as to how to handle it, just turn to one of hundreds of alphabetized topics, from "Allowances" to "Nightmares" to "Yelling and Screaming". What I liked about this book is that it is useful no matter what, if any, parenting philosophy you subscribe to, and does not claim to have only one answer for every child in every situation. Endorsed by Dr. Sears, too.

Hunters of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

I read this book last year when it came out, but it had been years since I had read the original Dune series. Now, reading it immediately after Chapterhouse: Dune, I am impressed by how well the two books flow together. My library has ordered Sandworms of Dune and I am anxiously awaiting it. Although, I do agree wholeheartedly with one Amazon.com reviewer who wrote: "The biggest gap between father and son is subtlety. What Frank Herbert implied with a sentence, B. Herbert and Anderson drag out into a paragraph-long explanation."

Your Fairy Bookmother posts on the lack of breastfeeding images in children's books (Reluctant Lactivism).

She may have missed these.

Heretics of Dune, by Frank Herbert.

Chapterhouse: Dune , by Frank Herbert.

I am eagerly awaiting Sandworms of Dune, the soon-to-be-published last book in the Dune series (actually, it is Part II of book 7, Hunters of Dune being Part I of book 7). Before I read it, though, I am trying to finish up the original 6 Dune books (which I have read many times) and re-read Hunters before my library gets its copy of Sandworms. I'm first on the hold list. At that point, I will have read all 14 Dune books in chronological order. In one year. Yikes.

Heretics of Dune is one of the best in the Dune series. It has an engaging plot, fleshed-out characters, mysteries that are later revealed (and some that are not). Chapterhouse is another story. Much of the "action" takes place in the character's minds, primarily that of Darwi Odrade, the Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit. This book contains endless conversations between characters, and little action occurs until the very end of the book, and not much of a surprise at that. It's just another book that just gets you from point A to point B.

This week I stumbled across Bryan Terry's review of the audiobook of Dune. Bryan's Book Blog (which I found through his wife's blog, which I found where?) seems to be taking off, in the sense that real authors are visiting his site and commenting on his posts. By comparison, would you believe that this blog gets, on average, one hit a day? Me neither.

Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables, by Phil Vischer.

I first heard of this book after I stumbled across Phil Vischer's blog. I put in a request for my library to purchase it, and they did. I liked the book a lot. Here's a review which sums the book up better than I could:

If you read it, make sure to check out the bonus chapter.

Blogwild!: A Guide for Small Business Blogging, by Andy Wibbles

I liked this book because it delivered what it promised. It's a perfect introduction for a small business owner who doesn't know much about blogging but knows s/he needs to get on board. It's concise and to the point, and not too technical. My only criticism is that all of the "how to set up a blog" etc. information is based on a Typepad platform. It would have been nice if this book had been more relevant to other blogging services.

God Emperor of Dune, by Frank Herbert

Are Dune novels like Star Trek movies? You know, odd ones good, even ones bad? It would seem so. Although the concept of Leto II's transformation into the giant sand worm and his thousands-year reign is fascinating, this book is a bit plodding.

I'm also confused by the fact that the Duncan ghola says that he remembers Leto as a child, when actually the original Duncan died way before Leto was even conceived. Is Herbert insinuating that the Duncan gholas are not copies of the original but of a later ghola/clone? Or did he just get confused when writing this book. If you have a theory, let me know.

Body Clutter: Love Your Body, Love Yourself, by Marla Cilley (The FlyLady) and Leanne Ely (The Dinner Diva)

If you are a FlyLady or Dinner Diva devotee, that this book is a must-read goes without saying. It's motivational and inspirational for everyone else, although there is a lot of "fly-lingo" to fight through (glossary provided). It helped me, and I'm sure that it will be a life-changing book for some people who desperately need to hear its message.

Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert

Although I have read this book many times, I still enjoy it. Much better than the disappointing Dune Messiah.

Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert

Personally, I thought this book was a bit of a dud. It's a bridge between Dune and Children of Dune but doesn't really stand on it's own.

Daddy Types comments on Slate's review of two new books about fertility, one of which is Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction Is Changing Men, Women, and the World, which is on my "to be read" shelf.

The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much?, by Leslie Bennetts.

Hathor has a musing and a comic about this book. It's waiting for me on the library "hold" shelf, so I'll let you know what I think.

A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder--How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and On-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place, by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman.

I think the title pretty much says it all. Recommended.

The Postcard, by Beverly Lewis
The Crossroad, by Beverly Lewis

Dune: House Atreides, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Dune: House Harkonnen, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Dune: House Corrino, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Dune, by Frank Herbert.

(took a break here, before plunging into the rest of the original Dune series, and read:)

The Road to Dune, by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson.

Please note that I've changed my email address to (in standard format) mommyblawger at gmail.com. Thanks!