Redwall

 Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a blog on Redwall. Redwall is a book written by Brian Jaques, one of my favorite childhood authors. I was lucky enough to get yelled at about reading Redwall in school, because it was higher then I was supposed to be able to read. Redwall is an enticing original tale about a war between mice and rats. It follows Matthias, a young chosen one on his quest to explore and unite the abbey against the threat of Cluny the Scourge, and features fantastical world-building, interesting concepts, and a compelling and well made story line that still holds up for me even now, over 10 years since I first read it. I'd recommend anyone read it, no matter the age in question. It's just that good of a book and a series.

Adventure Van, signing out.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a book report on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams. This is, by far, one of the greatest tongue in cheek science fiction novels ever written, and I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that. I've always enjoyed both it and the movie that was made out of it, because the humor and style of writing and flair Douglas uses in his work is hilarious and at times emotional. The absurdity of it all is what makes it, making it completely unneeded to find logical explanations for things that other science fiction authors would need to delve into pages of reasoning for. And it does a good job of it, I'd highly recommend it for anyone who either plans to write comedy or scifi, or just wants to read a good romp of the same genres.

Adventure Van, someone else's problem.

Odyssey

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog on the Odyssey. Written, or more so told, by Homer, this is one of the most ancient and famous stories out there, only being beaten in age by stories as storied as The Epic of Gilgamesh. Despite that, it's a fun look into the mythology of ancient civilizations. It's also a good look into the viewpoint of, if not the storyteller, of those that transcribed it in how they dealt with it. The story is filled with interesting antagonists, a well made hero that has both flaws and positives, and handles the topics of death and disgrace quite well. Even without being read as a direct sequel to the Iliad, it's a good story completely on it's own and I highly recommend anyone who has managed to never read it before to at least give it a shot before dismissing it. Different translators often also put different twists on the text, meaning even if you have read it before, it's always interesting to read another variant of the same tale.

Adventure Van, sailing away.

Bridge of Birds

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a book report on Bridge of Birds, a book written by Barry Hughart in 1984. Despite the many pitfalls of dubious content it could have fallen into as an European author writing using Chinese mythology as the base, the book is respectful and yet still takes it's own imaginative takes and uses for it's source. The characterization used is amazing, and the way the keys to the plot are slowly handed over to both the main characters and the reader for solving the main mystery is well written. The descriptions and interconnections of the chapters makes it feel more like reading a movie then a book, and I'm not saying that in a bad way. I would highly recommend checking it out when the opportunity is given.

Adventure Van, following the dragon.