Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a classic Newbery Award winner which is one of those books “everybody” is supposed to have read, but for some reason I never got around to reading it. My sister had read it, and I kind of knew the concept of a “wrinkle in time,” which is basically what the TV show Quantum Leap was about. Anyway, I read it last week, and I thought it was a wonderful book! It deals with traveling through space and different dimensions, so if you’re into that kind of thing like I am, be sure to read this book. The characters are very intriguing, and at the end the protagonist, Meg, has to save her little brother from a strange being that has an entire planet under his control. It is a very complicated plot that will either draw you in so you can’t put it down, or confuse you so much you don’t get farther than the first chapter. It’s up to you!
Review by David Dunkerton

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman looks beyond Charles Darwin’s impact on evolutionary theory and focuses more on who he was as a man. It is well researched and based on several personal journals, so I believe it is very accurate. I still don’t believe Darwin came to the right conclusions in his writings, but I grew to respect him as a person. He had a wonderful relationship with his family and was a great husband and father. The book was really well written and captured my attention, and I really came to care about the family. The book doesn’t try to influence whether or not Darwinism is true—it focuses on the people. I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Review by David Dunkerton

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

DC Universe Christmas

This is a compilation of 17 Christmas-themed comics published by DC Comics in the 1940s, '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. They mostly feature well-known DC Comics superheroes, but there are some non-superhero comics included as well. They are light and fun stories--even the story with Darkseid is funny. In a world of superheroes like Superman, Batman, and the Flash, why would a man who can travel the world at superspeed and deliver toys secretly seem so unlikely?
Review by David Dunkerton