On Stranger Tides

I bought  On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers because of it's shared title with the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. And, while it does share some components, Blackbeard and the search for the Fountain of Youth, the books is largely different from the movie of the same title.

This book is, however, still a great work of pirate fiction. There is plenty of magic, reminiscent of  Pirates of the Caribbean. The books focuses on a young man named John Chandagnac, who is captured by pirates and takes the name Jack Shandy. The story follows Shandy as he becomes one of the pirate crew and becomes acclimated to his new surroundings in the Caribbean. Throughout his adventures, Shandy tangles with Blackbeard, British authorities, other pirates, and magicians.

Overall, it is a rather entertaining book and well worth the read, if you are a fan of pirate novels.

My Word is My Bond: A Memoir

I picked up My Word is My Bond: A Memoir by Sir Roger Moore from the online bargain book bin at Barnes & Noble. I've always been a fan of the James Bond franchise and it looked like it might be interesting. Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan of Roger Moore films, as I have found them to be rather campy. I tend to prefer the Sean Connery films and the newer Daniel Craig movies. However, I thought that this may be an interesting book.

I'm glad I picked the book up. It turned out to be a rather fun and interesting read. Moore is a conversational story-teller. He is good at spinning a great story and making it somehow relatable. The book provides some incredibly interest stories about Moore's childhood and rise through stage acting. He then recounts his early film and television career, which was actually rather robust. I, for instance, had no idea that he starred in the televisions series The Saint and Maverick. Moore proceeds to tell about his experiences as the world's most famous secret agent. Finally, he tells about his involvement with UNICEF, which started because Audrey Hepburn asked him to join. Throughout all of these stories, Moore share tales about his fellow stories, some of which can be a bit risque. He shares stories about practical jokes he played while on set and misadventures that happened while on location. It was a fun read.

I would imagine that anyone who is a fan of the Bond franchise would enjoy this book. It would also be enjoyable to anyone interested in the golden age of film.

My Word is My Bond: A Memoir

Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977

This marks the third time I have read Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977 by James Miller. As with the last time I read it, it was for class. This is the final textbook for my class "Black, White, and Blue: Race Relations in the U.S. through the Blues." And yes, while this book does cover rock and roll, it also does a fine job of discussing race and the development of rock and roll out of the blues.

Miller takes an interesting approach to this book by breaking it into various sections that offer vignettes on various songs, artists, or milestones in the creation and rise of rock and roll. Some favorites on which Miller focuses are Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. One of the things I like about this book is that Miller takes time to also describe what is happening socially in addition to what is happening in the world of music. Sometimes these descriptions are rather brief, but they are important in providing context around the music and musicians.

This is a great book for anyone interested in reading about rock and roll and the progression of the music industry. Miller does a great job of bringing some important figures in the world of rock to life and can also make the reader wish to revisit some of these old songs.

Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977

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