30 Mar 2015
As you can see, this is also a Jim Butcher book like the Dresden files, so I had extremely high hopes. The Dresden books are what set me on this venture to read through similar authors. I like the obnoxious wit and sarcasm in the Dresden books, so I expected to find more of that here, even if the setting was different. I did not find nearly as much to laugh about in this book and it was not as alluring as Butcher's Dresden books.
All that being said, it was a reasonably good book for the first of a series. My interest in the book was clouded with hopes of being as great as a Dresden book, and I was fully aware of that from the beginning. Butcher's Furies series doesn't have the fervent following that his Dresden series dose, and I know why.
The book, standing alone without expectations, is fine. Not the best one I've read, FAR from the worst. He, again, keeps up a good pace and has created an interesting enough world. Some characters were a little too obvious, some too opaque. The characters' reactions were all within reason, but some only barely.
My biggest issue was with the wildlings called Marat. He goes into description of them and their culture but never says what they are. He uses "man" and "he" and "woman" so on during action sequences and they have male and female, but I wasn't even sure if "man" was the right word. Are they a non-human primates? Something farther away on the evolutionary chain than Neanderthals from us? Are they magical, non-real beings? Are they people who's ancestors fell into a vat of toxic goo? I had a hard time coming to terms with them because Butcher skips over what they actually are.
I would read more of this series, but it's pretty far down on my list. I'd much rather read more Richard Kadrey, Stephen King, or Phillipa Gregory first. It also wouldn't be first on my list of recommendations to anyone unless they had already read everything else I could offer.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim Series, Bk 1)
21 Mar 2015
This. I liked this. Of course, I have liked every book I've come across that has *spoiler alert* nephilim mythology in it.
The construction of the book had some ups and downs. I didn't really understand why Stark continued to return to the crapped out video store when everyone knew to look for him there. I'm also not really sure why Aelita just decided to murder him. It seemed like she was plain crazy, maybe that's what Mr. Kadrey was going for, but it was still a bit much, on the verge of roid rage even.
I did like the pace. I loved the style and origin of the magic in this book. While it didn't get me all giddy the way some books do, it has potential and I will certainly read more of these in the future.
This. I liked this. Of course, I have liked every book I've come across that has *spoiler alert* nephilim mythology in it.
The construction of the book had some ups and downs. I didn't really understand why Stark continued to return to the crapped out video store when everyone knew to look for him there. I'm also not really sure why Aelita just decided to murder him. It seemed like she was plain crazy, maybe that's what Mr. Kadrey was going for, but it was still a bit much, on the verge of roid rage even.
I did like the pace. I loved the style and origin of the magic in this book. While it didn't get me all giddy the way some books do, it has potential and I will certainly read more of these in the future.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie
21 Mar 2015
I decided to give this book a try after seeing it on a list of "100 books to read before you die" list. There are maybe 30 books on my TO READ list from this type of recommendation. Who knows if I'll ever get through them all, but this was a shorter book so I was able to tackle it (as compared to, say, Gone with the Wind, which is also on that list).
I wasn't real sure what to expect with this book being as I got it off a list rather than tracked it down through personal recommendation or following similar author leads, like the last 2 books I've reviewed. It was not fantasy like the last few books I've read, but I liked it well enough. I don't know that I'd put it on a list titles "books you must read before you die" however. That being said, as far as coming-of-age books go (which I'm not a fan of) this was probably the best I've ever read (keep in mind, it's a short list, so that's not really saying that much).
I do think it would be a good book for middle schoolers to read. It addresses nearly all the obstacles they will soon encounter like fitting in, poverty (yours or a classmate's), death, friendship, originality, and learning what really matters in life. I believe any middle schooler could take away an important lesson from this book.
I decided to give this book a try after seeing it on a list of "100 books to read before you die" list. There are maybe 30 books on my TO READ list from this type of recommendation. Who knows if I'll ever get through them all, but this was a shorter book so I was able to tackle it (as compared to, say, Gone with the Wind, which is also on that list).
I wasn't real sure what to expect with this book being as I got it off a list rather than tracked it down through personal recommendation or following similar author leads, like the last 2 books I've reviewed. It was not fantasy like the last few books I've read, but I liked it well enough. I don't know that I'd put it on a list titles "books you must read before you die" however. That being said, as far as coming-of-age books go (which I'm not a fan of) this was probably the best I've ever read (keep in mind, it's a short list, so that's not really saying that much).
I do think it would be a good book for middle schoolers to read. It addresses nearly all the obstacles they will soon encounter like fitting in, poverty (yours or a classmate's), death, friendship, originality, and learning what really matters in life. I believe any middle schooler could take away an important lesson from this book.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Ghost of a Chance - Simon R. Green (A Ghost Finders Novel, Bk 1)
2 Mar 2015
This was my first experience with Simon Green and I was very unimpressed. I am aware that he has many other books, and while I plan to try out another of his, it will absolutely be from another series! I had heard all good things about his books, but reading this, I don't know what they would be.
Ghost of a Chance was the first book of the series, so I expected some standard explanations and character set-up. But, it never got better?!? We have 3 characters, they are so flat and stereotypical, it's kinda painful.
Melody constantly obsesses over her instruments even though they never DO anything. She can't get a good read, isn't sure how to interpret the data, the machines are going off the chart, bla bla bla. This constant return to the instruments felt more like filler than actually progressing plot or dialogue. Her actions and responses were on repeat the whole book, like Mr. Green had a Twister board of actions and phrases that he just flipped anytime Melody needed to add something to the book.
Happy, while I love the irony of his name, made zero sense. Mr. Green tried to explain away Happy's inconsistency with drugs, but even the most hardened pill popper can't go up and down that fast. It was like Mr. Green had certain scenes he wanted to create but then realized he needed a sober character in between these scenes. Happy's ups and downs were so beyond the capability of a human that it would have made more sense to use some tele-whatever explanation rather than just "he does a lot of drugs".
JC was the worst of all, supposedly being the flagship character of the trio. He comes up against evil so magnificent it has to come from another dimension and he just goes, "Eh, whatever. This should work." BAM! WOW! He figured it out!! There is no logic for these great leaps of insight, no lead-up, no reasoning, no explanation. None. Then we're supposed to believe that this great mastermind of making-shit-up falls instantaneously in love beyond reason with a ghost, and the she ghost with him. What.
Looking back over what I've just written, I wonder if Mr. Green has early onset Alzheimer's. He forgot Melody just checked her instruments and said that line, so he repeats them. He forgot weather Happy was high or not. He forgot to include all of JC's internal dialogue of how he comes to these great conclusions.
Yes. This is a book for Alzheimer's patients.
This was my first experience with Simon Green and I was very unimpressed. I am aware that he has many other books, and while I plan to try out another of his, it will absolutely be from another series! I had heard all good things about his books, but reading this, I don't know what they would be.
Ghost of a Chance was the first book of the series, so I expected some standard explanations and character set-up. But, it never got better?!? We have 3 characters, they are so flat and stereotypical, it's kinda painful.
Melody constantly obsesses over her instruments even though they never DO anything. She can't get a good read, isn't sure how to interpret the data, the machines are going off the chart, bla bla bla. This constant return to the instruments felt more like filler than actually progressing plot or dialogue. Her actions and responses were on repeat the whole book, like Mr. Green had a Twister board of actions and phrases that he just flipped anytime Melody needed to add something to the book.
Happy, while I love the irony of his name, made zero sense. Mr. Green tried to explain away Happy's inconsistency with drugs, but even the most hardened pill popper can't go up and down that fast. It was like Mr. Green had certain scenes he wanted to create but then realized he needed a sober character in between these scenes. Happy's ups and downs were so beyond the capability of a human that it would have made more sense to use some tele-whatever explanation rather than just "he does a lot of drugs".
JC was the worst of all, supposedly being the flagship character of the trio. He comes up against evil so magnificent it has to come from another dimension and he just goes, "Eh, whatever. This should work." BAM! WOW! He figured it out!! There is no logic for these great leaps of insight, no lead-up, no reasoning, no explanation. None. Then we're supposed to believe that this great mastermind of making-shit-up falls instantaneously in love beyond reason with a ghost, and the she ghost with him. What.
Looking back over what I've just written, I wonder if Mr. Green has early onset Alzheimer's. He forgot Melody just checked her instruments and said that line, so he repeats them. He forgot weather Happy was high or not. He forgot to include all of JC's internal dialogue of how he comes to these great conclusions.
Yes. This is a book for Alzheimer's patients.
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