The author never said what the two towers were exactly, but most people think they refer to the strongholds of the antagonists in this book: Saruman and Sauron. The main characters visit the former during their journeys in this book, and the latter casts its shadow throughout the LotR: it is where Sauron searches for the ring--and Frodo--and sends his terrifying messengers, the Nazgul. If you haven't read the first book, it's not a good idea to read this one, unless you skipped it because it was too slow, in which case, this one would be a welcome surprise. It has the right amount of beautiful, well-placed descriptions that contribute to the epic fantasy tone; new and memorable characters (introducing Faramir, Boromir's brother; Theoden, the old and wise king, and many others); and more epic battles against Orcs, including Uruks, which are stronger and more lethal than the others. A brief synopsis: by the end of the first book, the fellowship has been sundered into three groups: Merry and Pippin; Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn; and Frodo and Sam (and later, Gollum). The first is taken by Uruks (but they eventually escape, meeting new people). The second go out to look for them, but meet someone they weren't expecting (and later, they meet their missing friends at an unexpected location). The latter, whose story is only written about in the second part of the book, have escaped from Orcs and are determined to destroy the Ring. One thing readers might not appreciate is the occasional lack of character development. Aragorn accepts his role as king without hesitation, and Faramir is instantly wise and rejects the ring. And Legolas is always calm, subtly humorous and wry. However, I think Gollum makes up for it. He makes a promise to guide Frodo to Mordor, swearing on the one ring, and, for a long while he does. But you never really know if he's serious or not, and by the end, this racks up to the breaking point. Theoden, likewise, has a small, tragic character arc, first realizing the full extent of the danger, then setting out to destroy it, perhaps when it is too late. Sam is also surprisingly funny, especially during the famous potatoes moment, where he lectures Gollum about the virtues of vegetables. I admired the journey of Sam, how he matured even though he was unsure of himself, accompanying and staying loyal to Frodo. Also, readers will love/hate this book for its extensive descriptions that are sometimes hard to visualize and understand--expect lots about the setting sun, perhaps seven or eight. Others will appreciate their depth and tone; some of which stood out to me and will be hard to scrub from my brain. For example, Tolkien, compares the army of orcs to a field of wheat swept by the tide of war, which gives you an idea of the sort of genius he employed. Another thing: this book doesn't really start and end definitively: it continues from the last scene of The Fellowship of the Ring and ends with a scene that I'd best not divulge, but is a cliffhanger to say the least. It lacks a definitive storyline, with the ring bearer's story having an entirely different setting and action than the rest of the former fellowship, which might make it seem haphazard and all over the place to some readers. After half of the book has elapsed, the next we'll hear of Aragorn and his posse is at the start of The Return of the King. Aside from that, this is an almost-perfect middle book to a trilogy, or, to be correct, middle volume in the LotR. It has fewer slow moments than The Fellowship (however there are still some), and replaces them with action and battles, and dark, brooding dangers. It was full of adventure. It got me to love epic fantasy. It was an exceptional book. Truly exceptional.

The characters in this 18th-century novel, essentially social commentary about the preoccupation with marriage during the time of the book's publication, seemed astonishingly fresh and real. This is due to the intricacies of their character traits and emotions—a testament to Austen's skill as a novelist. The overarching idea of the novel, though, is simple enough: marriage. Since the whole of the Bennet children are at marrying age and female, which, at the time, meant that their financial security depended on marrying well, and also because their father's estate will be passed down to their cousin, much of the novel details interactions between them and potential suitors, focusing on playful Lydia, attractive Jane, and contemplative Elizabeth, the protagonist of this novel. The story opens with the arrival of one such young man: Mr. Bingley, a rich person who has just rented the estate down the street. His friend, Mr. Darcy, however, is rejected as a rude, stuck-up man; but on the other hand, Mrs. Bennet is overcome with the wish, however unlikely it may seem, of Mr. Bingley marrying Jane. Indeed, she might have succeeded, had Bingley's two sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, not intervened. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy's affection for Elizabeth grows, but she remains oblivious. One day, Bingley decides to go to London; this news is tragic to not only Mrs. Bingley but also Jane, who'd begun to develop feelings for him. Much more happens, but in the end, at least some of the characters do end up married, and they experience a shocking scandal. This book, what with its length and lengthy descriptions and formal sentence structure, will appeal to those who like detail sprinkled in their books. Moreover, these sentences are playful and ironic, particularly portrayals of Mrs. Bennet and the Bingley sisters, one of whom has a crush on Mr. Darcy. It's also perfect for those who want to take a look into the lives of women in the gentry class of Regency England, when people rode horse-drawn carriages and society imposed strict rules regarding women's behavior. In contrast, those who do not like this book will probably attribute this dislike to a simple thing: there is not enough action in the book— several parts are devoid really of anything like that at all. Also, you may not like this book if you prefer clear, concise plots (at times the main character, Elizabeth, seems to be hopping around from place to place). There is also use of heavy passages of dialogue to show the characters' thoughts, traits, and emotions. So, if you are not a fan of those things, go read something else. But if you enjoy reading about character interactions and humorous, complex, characters, go ahead and pick up this classic book, considered a monumental work of British literature.

The characters in this 18th-century novel, essentially social commentary about the preoccupation with marriage during the time of the book's publication, seemed astonishingly fresh and real. This is due to the intricacies of their character traits and emotions—a testament to Austen's skill as a novelist. The overarching idea of the novel, though, is simple enough: marriage. Since the whole of the Bennet children are at marrying age and female, which, at the time, meant that their financial security depended on marrying well, and also because their father's estate will be passed down to their cousin, much of the novel details interactions between them and potential suitors, focusing on playful Lydia, attractive Jane, and contemplative Elizabeth, the protagonist of this novel. The story opens with the arrival of one such young man: Mr. Bingley, a rich person who has just rented the estate down the street. His friend, Mr. Darcy, however, is rejected as a rude, stuck-up man; but on the other hand, Mrs. Bennet is overcome with the wish, however unlikely it may seem, of Mr. Bingley marrying Jane. Indeed, she might have succeeded, had Bingley's two sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, not intervened. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy's affection for Elizabeth grows, but she remains oblivious. One day, Bingley decides to go to London; this news is tragic to not only Mrs. Bingley but also Jane, who'd begun to develop feelings for him. Much more happens, but in the end, at least some of the characters do end up married, and they experience a shocking scandal. This book, what with its length and lengthy descriptions and formal sentence structure, will appeal to those who like detail sprinkled in their books. Moreover, these sentences are playful and ironic, particularly portrayals of Mrs. Bennet and the Bingley sisters, one of whom has a crush on Mr. Darcy. It's also perfect for those who want to take a look into the lives of women in the gentry class of Regency England, when people rode horse-drawn carriages and society imposed strict rules regarding women's behavior. In contrast, those who do not like this book will probably attribute this dislike to a simple thing: there is not enough action in the book— several parts are devoid really of anything like that at all. Also, you may not like this book if you prefer clear, concise plots (at times the main character, Elizabeth, seems to be hopping around from place to place). There is also use of heavy passages of dialogue to show the characters' thoughts, traits, and emotions. So, if you are not a fan of those things, go read something else. But if you enjoy reading about character interactions and humorous, complex, characters, go ahead and pick up this classic book, considered a monumental work of British literature.

This book tells the story of Joe Rantz. It serves as an account of his youth in the middle of the Great Depression, especially when he was rowing at the University of Washington. In the book, we learn about the hardships he endured and the challenges he had to overcome in order to row with his teammates, and, more importantly, trust his teammates, at the Olympics of 1936 in Hitler's Germany. It follows Joe through 3 years of hard collegiate rowing, of being discriminated because of how poor he was, and of him bonding with the members of the crew that would eventually row together at the Olympics. The focus, however, is not really on the Nazis; Joe and his teammates are blissfuly unaware of the persecution of races deemed 'inferior' by the Nazis, although the book does delve into the attempts of Leni Riefanstahl, maker of propaganda films highlighting the Aryan race at the Olympics. The focus is on Joe's story, how he was abandoned as a child and rose through hard work and perseverance to become whole again through rowing. It paints a picture of a time long gone, of men and women who have since passed on: their struggles, their triumphs, their journeys. It tells of the boys rowing. It had a melancholy, reflective epilogue. It had funny descriptions of events that happened, in a tongue in cheek, wry way. It drew me in. Through the 500 or so pages, I was never bored: the descriptions of the various regattas were especially suspenseful. And above all, it gave me a deeper appreciation of hard work and teamwork and trust. I recommend it to fans of narrative nonfiction or sports stories.

This book tells the story of Joe Rantz. It serves as an account of his youth in the middle of the Great Depression, especially when he was rowing at the University of Washington. In the book, we learn about the hardships he endured and the challenges he had to overcome in order to row with his teammates, and, more importantly, trust his teammates, at the Olympics of 1936 in Hitler's Germany. It follows Joe through 3 years of hard collegiate rowing, of being discriminated because of how poor he was, and of him bonding with the members of the crew that would eventually row together at the Olympics. The focus, however, is not really on the Nazis; Joe and his teammates are blissfuly unaware of the persecution of races deemed 'inferior' by the Nazis, although the book does delve into the attempts of Leni Riefanstahl, maker of propaganda films highlighting the Aryan race at the Olympics. The focus is on Joe's story, how he was abandoned as a child and rose through hard work and perseverance to become whole again through rowing. It paints a picture of a time long gone, of men and women who have since passed on: their struggles, their triumphs, their journeys. It tells of the boys rowing. It had a melancholy, reflective epilogue. It had funny descriptions of events that happened, in a tongue in cheek, wry way. It drew me in. Through the 500 or so pages, I was never bored: the descriptions of the various regattas were especially suspenseful. And above all, it gave me a deeper appreciation of hard work and teamwork and trust. I recommend it to fans of narrative nonfiction or sports stories.

After the bleak and repressive society of the Giver, here is a society that is too wild, where one must fight to survive, and those who can claw their way to the top are the victors. Kira was born crippled, so they wanted to toss her into certain death via mauling by Beasts in The Field, but her mother was strong and fought them off. Now her mother is dead, dead of a mysterious illness, and they want her in The Field. They take her to the Council Edifice, where the powerful Council of Guardians decide whether she lives or dies. A powerful figure comes to her aid: it is Jamison, assigned by the Council to be her Protector. He defends her, saying that her incredible talent in weaving more than makes up for her crippled leg. Kira is tasked by the Guardians with an important task: she must repair the robe of the Singer, who retells her village's history annually. She goes with her friend, the scruffy Matt, to her new quarters in the Council Edifice, where she meets the Carver, a boy around her age who carves the Singer's staff. She learns the art of dyeing from Annabella, a wise elder. However, something's not right. She and Thomas soon meet a tyke named Jo, who is gifted with Singing. Unlike them, though, she is not allowed to leave, she is locked in her room. IS there something the Council's not telling them? I found this novel to be good, but not that good. Warning: it ends on a not really cliffhanger per se, but it certainly urges you, practically forces you to read the next book. It was a real pleasure reading about Kira getting saved and trying to protect herself against her enemies, at the beginning. But the book sort of died out in the middle, with unease being introduced slowly, bit by bit, until the semi-explosive resolution. All in all, it would have been much better if the pacing was a little quicker. It was a companion, not a sequel: you won't be seeing Jonas or the others in this book. All in all, I liked how it had a bigger emphasis on teamwork, friendship, etc., especially between Kira and that little boy named Matt, who has a very interesting way of speaking and an optimistic outlook on life. By the end, you will realize that though the societies from this book and The Giver are outwardly different, they have a similar warning: choose who you trust, for they may be lying. A final note: I don't think this book was all that dystopia as The Giver (now that was a masterpiece dystopian novel): it reads more of a novel about overcoming your defects, both physical and mental, by relying on your friends. If you liked The Giver, you really NEED to read this book (and the rest of the books in the series.)

After the bleak and repressive society of the Giver, here is a society that is too wild, where one must fight to survive, and those who can claw their way to the top are the victors. Kira was born crippled, so they wanted to toss her into certain death via mauling by Beasts in The Field, but her mother was strong and fought them off. Now her mother is dead, dead of a mysterious illness, and they want her in The Field. They take her to the Council Edifice, where the powerful Council of Guardians decide whether she lives or dies. A powerful figure comes to her aid: it is Jamison, assigned by the Council to be her Protector. He defends her, saying that her incredible talent in weaving more than makes up for her crippled leg. Kira is tasked by the Guardians with an important task: she must repair the robe of the Singer, who retells her village's history annually. She goes with her friend, the scruffy Matt, to her new quarters in the Council Edifice, where she meets the Carver, a boy around her age who carves the Singer's staff. She learns the art of dyeing from Annabella, a wise elder. However, something's not right. She and Thomas soon meet a tyke named Jo, who is gifted with Singing. Unlike them, though, she is not allowed to leave, she is locked in her room. IS there something the Council's not telling them? I found this novel to be good, but not that good. Warning: it ends on a not really cliffhanger per se, but it certainly urges you, practically forces you to read the next book. It was a real pleasure reading about Kira getting saved and trying to protect herself against her enemies, at the beginning. But the book sort of died out in the middle, with unease being introduced slowly, bit by bit, until the semi-explosive resolution. All in all, it would have been much better if the pacing was a little quicker. It was a companion, not a sequel: you won't be seeing Jonas or the others in this book. All in all, I liked how it had a bigger emphasis on teamwork, friendship, etc., especially between Kira and that little boy named Matt, who has a very interesting way of speaking and an optimistic outlook on life. By the end, you will realize that though the societies from this book and The Giver are outwardly different, they have a similar warning: choose who you trust, for they may be lying. A final note: I don't think this book was all that dystopia as The Giver (now that was a masterpiece dystopian novel): it reads more of a novel about overcoming your defects, both physical and mental, by relying on your friends. If you liked The Giver, you really NEED to read this book (and the rest of the books in the series.)