Saturday, April 09, 2005

Peter and the Starcatchers When I was at Disneyworld I found an interesting book in a store: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry (yes, that Dave Barry) and Ridley Pearson. It's a prequel to the classic story of Peter Pan. In this book, we learn the origins of all the major characters, most notably Peter Pan and Captain Hook. It's a fun story, cleverly written, and appropriate for both adults and children. It's not terribly deep... but then again, it doesn't have to be. Barry and Pearson did their research, and the book has an authentic feel. It has a great pace and works well as an action-adventure. I highly recommend it. 10:19:31 PM    comment []

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Vacation was a great opportunity to catch up on my escapist reading. First up was A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers. It's the author's semi-autobiographical story of raising his younger brother while in his mid twenties. It's at times funny, at times sad, but above all else puts you into the mind of Eggers as he is forced to grow up very quickly after the death of his parents from cancer. As for the title: there are definitely heartbreaking parts, such as the individual accounts of the parents' deaths. Staggering Genius? Perhaps not quite, but well written nonetheless and worth the read. 9:55:52 PM    comment []