Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter: A Fictional Bio

A fictional biography. It's not often that you hear that, but that's exactly what Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is. This book acts as a biography of our 16th President's life. However, it's not the story you've learned in school. This bio is about Abe's life as a vampire hunter. This bio tells his life exactly how it originally happened, but with added vampires.
***SPOILERS BELOW***

In the introduction, there is a narrative piece from the author. He claims to have received ten journals, all written by Abe. He then uncovers the truth about Lincoln's life, and begins to write a book about it. From that point on in the book, the reader is reading the finished book that the author wrote. The book tells about how Abe's mom was killed by a vampire. How he swore to kill every vampire in America, subsequently becoming a vampire hunter. He kills every vampire that comes his way, until one day something changed in his life; his first child is born. He then realizes that his life is too important, and if he were to be killed by a vampire, he would leave a child fatherless. So, he fights vampires another way: with words and politics. He becomes a phenomenal public speaker, which helps him win the presidential race. Using his great power, he helps the Union win the war. This is excellent, because the vampires play a huge part on the Confederate side (I won't tell you how). Lastly, the book talks of his murder, and his murderer: John Wilkes Booth, a vampire.

I found this book very well rounded, and actually thought provoking. There's a lot of talk about good and evil, and right and wrong. This book is more than just a supernatural mash-up, it's a book that leaves you smiling, laughing, and wanting more.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (that's how good it was!)

The Results Are In! (Poll #1)

Readers have voiced their opinions, and the results to The Bookshelf's first poll are in! The topic was summer reading, and the question: Do you plan to read this summer? I really enjoyed seeing the responses from the people who are reading my blog. The poll had a whopping number of 10 votes-a pretty good amount for a new, virtually unknown blog. Here's the results:

• Yes! I'll be reading throughout the summer. 6 votes (60%)
• Yes, I may read a few books. 3 votes (30%)
• Maybe, it depends on how busy I am. 1 vote (10%)
• No! Why would I read during the summer? 0 votes (o%)
  

I was very happy to see no votes for the last option. And, being the book lover that I am, I was ecstatic to see the first option had the most votes. I hope to put out more polls soon. It's interesting to see other people's relation to books.

On another note...I have finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and plan to post a review for it tomorrow. (It was really good!)

What I'm Reading (06/02/10)

I am currently reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (same author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). It's fiction (of course), but it acts like it's a true biography of the life of our 16th President. It's separated into three parts: The Boy, The Vampire Hunter, and The President. "The Boy" being about Abe's early years when his mom died of a sickness given to her by a vampire. "The Vampire Hunter" being about before his presidency, when he became a vampire hunter. And "The President" talks about how the vamps played a part in the Civil War, and the freeing of slaves.
Here's a description from the dust jacket flap:

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Sounds...interesting...unusual...crazy, huh?

Tom Sawyer: An American Classic

There's something about a book that has mischievous, adventurous, neighborhood kids, that gets you hooked. I'm not sure what it is, but I know that I really enjoyed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Throughout the story, the readers follow the life of twelve-year-old Tom, as he becomes pals with Huckleberry Finn, falls in love with Becky Thatcher, and deals with his family: his aunt Polly, brother Sid, and cousin Mary. Tom is great at persuading people to do things. Whether it's his attitude, personality, or ability to make something so dull, look so pleasing, Tom always seems to get what he wants.

When this book was first published, it was considered to be only a children's book; an adult wouldn't dare read it. However, this book is more than just a tale about kids getting into trouble and cracking jokes. This book has much more meaning. Here's an excerpt from Tom Sawyer's famous fence painting scene:

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it-namely, that in order to make a man or boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. ...
Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

-Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

What can we get from this excerpt? The answer: that Mark Twain was an intelligent man, and that Tom Sawyer is no ordinary children's book. How many times have you opened a children's book, and found a quote like that? A quote that challenges how we look at the world, and alters our thoughts.

Thank you Mark Twain for writing such a great book for people of all ages.

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Enter the World of eReaders

The world of reading has recently entered a new level, as eBooks and eReaders have becoming more and more popular. eReaders have been known as "the ipod for books", because it's just that: an electronic device that lets you store thousands of books, just like an ipod stores thousands of songs.

eReaders have a screen that displays the book, the words. However, unlike a computer monitor, or a phone screen, you won't get any eye strains from looking at the screen too long. This is because eReaders use E Ink. The reader's E Ink display means it uses special technology that makes the screen look just like paper. E Ink also makes the screen have no glare, so you can read in a low-light area, or in a bright, sunny area.

Most eReaders have an application that allows you to purchase eBooks, eNewspapers, and eMagagzines. It's really easy: for most readers you set up an online account (where you give credit and gift card info.), you open the app (often called the store/shop), browse through reading materials, find something you like, press the BUY button, and it will be delivered to you in under 60 seconds. That's quick!

Depending on which eReader you have, you may have special features. I own the Barnes & Noble Nook (upper left picture). Some of the extra features it has are, 2 screens-one of them a touchscreen and in color, games-chess and sudoku, a web browser, a music player-to play music while reading, and the ability to upload and read Word and .pdf files.

I personally love the Nook, but there are other eReaders out there, too. The one that started it all was the Amazon Kindle (middle right picture), there's the Sony Reader, and a new one called the Kobo (lower left picture). The Kobo will be sold through Borders Booksellers.

While these readers are certainly high-tech and convenient, they will never replace the feeling of a real book. I love my Nook, but I still read more real, paper books. eReaders have certainly changed how the public looks at books, but I don't think it will ever surpass the essence of a paper book.

Also...I have decided not to write Incarceron's review until summer. I have recently started my summer reading theme, classic books, with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I hope to finish and review this classic soon.