Silverfin

I don't recall exactly how I heard of Silverfin by Charlie Higson. I know that it was somehow related to James Bond, but whether it was on Amazon or Wikipedia, I am uncertain. Regardless, I was intrigued about the Young Bond Series and decided to order the book. I am a big Bond fan and do enjoy reading juvenile fiction from time to time, so I thought it might be a fun read.

That's almost exactly how I would describe the book: fun. It didn't have the deepest of plots, nor the most developed characters. It wasn't the most well-written book I have ever read, and it was rather far from the worst. It was just purely fun.

The novel finds young James Bond starting his first year at Eton. The novel mentions that he is a thirteen year old schoolboy, so he is certainly a far cry from the dashing spy we know from Ian Fleming's novels and the 007 film franchise. However, elements of the character are present. Through the book, and presumably the rest of the series, one is able to discern traits that will develop into the Bond with which we are all familiar.

The story deals somewhat with young Bond finding his place among his peers at Eton. However, most of the adventure takes place in Scotland, his father's home country. James is visiting his aunt and uncle on Easter break and get involved in a web of intrigue that leads to several exciting adventures. The villain's plot deals with science gone-awry and is not too far from something that might have existed in the Roger Moore-era films.

All in all, the book was a fun adventure with a new take on a familiar character. If one is willing to read juvenile fiction, it might be worth a read. If one is looking for stories similar to those of Fleming, I would avoid this book and series. Silverfin

The Prophet

I picked up The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran because it consistently popped up on "must-read" lists next to another of my favorite books, The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho. The Prophet seemed to have rave reviews and often was also mentioned near books related to the Middle East. So, I bought the book on Amazon and then put it on my pile of books that are in the queue. The book caught my eye the other day and I decided to read it.

The Prophet is an incredibly short book and a rather quick read, but is nonetheless very deep. I would consider it to be a secular gospel. It is full of short lessons related to the wisdom of life. One of my favorites is on the topic of love and reads,"Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself." The book is full of this incredibly beautiful prose providing these deeps lessons, all loosely wrapped around the story of a prophet's farewell speech before departing a city. It is poignant and beautiful. 
 
The Prophet

The Templar Salvation

The sequel to Raymond Khoury's The Last Templar, The Templar Salvation once again finds FBI agent Sean Reilly and archaeologist Tess Chaykin involved in international plot involving terrorism and religious history. After an Iranian terrorist involves Reilly in a plot to infiltrate the Vatican archives, Reilly must hunt him down before the terrorist tracks down centuries old secrets that could dramatically change history and the Western world. The secrets in question deal with ancient church history and have been protected by the Knights Templar. The quest takes Reilly and Chaykin on a hunt through history in what is modern-day Turkey.

This book is a fairly well-written thriller involving questions of history and faith. The characters are believable and the action is captivating. I particularly enjoyed the book because of its settings. The first location is the Vatican, a place a would very much like to visit. The second locale the provides the setting for the story is Turkey, one of my favorite places to visit. Much of the action takes place in Istanbul, what is likely my favorite city in the world, as well as Cappadocia, which is a beautiful, interesting part of rural Turkey.

The Templar Salvation

Segregating Sound: Inventing Folk and Pop Music in the Age of Jim Crow

This marks the second time I have read  Segregating Sound: Inventing Folk and Pop Music in the Age of Jim Crow by Karl Hagstrom Miller. Both times have been for a class I teach on the blues and race relations. I find this book to be rather interesting and something that challenges the students in my course to think critically about race relations and social context.

Miller takes a scholar's critical look at folklorism and it impact on the way we think about music, particularly that which is pure or authentic. The book primarily focuses on the late 19th and early 20th century. Additionally, as the title implies, the book examines Southern music and our understanding of it. Miller traces the origins of "Race music" and "Hillbilly music," more so in title than in the influences of either genre. There is also an intense discussion of what constitutes pop music and what constitutes folk.

This book would be of interest to anyone interested in Southern music, the blues, race relations, or folklorism and the understanding of folk art.

Segregating Sound: Inventing Folk and Pop Music in the Age of Jim Crow