15 June 2015
This is the fourth book in the Dark Tower series, Stephen King's one epic saga. The largest chunk of this story is actually the background of Roland, which is heavily referenced up to this point but never explained. So maybe 550 of the 700 pages of this book are devoted to this story.
My favorite part about Stephen King is he will tell you what is going to happen, but you will still read it anyway! From the very beginning, you know the girl dies and even that she burns, but the details of why never come out. As I read this book, you eventually met Susan and, despite knowing she dies, hope that somehow King was wrong. You hope that something has changed. You don't want her to die and as the time gets closer you read with increasing trepidation. You are convinced the very next time she screws up, she's dead . . . but then she's not. And the next time, and the next, until you're emotionally exhausted when. . . . BAM she's dead. And you don't even know what to do with yourself.
I love Stephen King.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris (The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Bk 1)
5 June 2015
This was not a book I intended to read. I was at a friend's house and he just threw it at me for me to read, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I know that the book was the base for the HBO tv show Trueblood only because it prominently displays that information on the cover, and I know that show is about vampires, but that's it. So what I'm saying here, is that I had zero expectations.
I thought the author did a great job on the main character. Most female leads, especially in love-oriented stories simply dither around until things happen to them. There was some of that in this book, but it was a realistic amount when legitimate decision making would take place. The main character takes action sometimes, but also holds back sometimes, avoiding the stereotype at each extreme.
The author did not shy away from the sense of history a small, southern town can hold onto. The "what happened to their offspring" question is one I often wondered about in other immortal/vampire stories. Ms. Harris did leave some holes, but I assume they'll be filled in later on.
This is not the most graphic story I've read by a long, long shot, but it's not PG either. Again, the author creates a great balance between arousing and pornographic. I often lean toward grittier regardless of the topic, pain, joy, sex, fear, revenge. I typically like fully fleshed out, brilliantly vibrant emotions and descriptions. However, I've not been feeling up-to-par as of late and the less detailed sex scenes in this book, at this particular moment in my life, were spot on. I don't believe I could have said that same thing two weeks ago.
Overall, I'd give this book a "good" review. It's not one I'd push on everyone, but if a friend had already read some of my other recommendations and just wanted something simple, I'd throw this title out. I'll likely read more in the series, but I won't have to reign myself in from blazing though them all at top speed.
This was not a book I intended to read. I was at a friend's house and he just threw it at me for me to read, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I know that the book was the base for the HBO tv show Trueblood only because it prominently displays that information on the cover, and I know that show is about vampires, but that's it. So what I'm saying here, is that I had zero expectations.
I thought the author did a great job on the main character. Most female leads, especially in love-oriented stories simply dither around until things happen to them. There was some of that in this book, but it was a realistic amount when legitimate decision making would take place. The main character takes action sometimes, but also holds back sometimes, avoiding the stereotype at each extreme.
The author did not shy away from the sense of history a small, southern town can hold onto. The "what happened to their offspring" question is one I often wondered about in other immortal/vampire stories. Ms. Harris did leave some holes, but I assume they'll be filled in later on.
This is not the most graphic story I've read by a long, long shot, but it's not PG either. Again, the author creates a great balance between arousing and pornographic. I often lean toward grittier regardless of the topic, pain, joy, sex, fear, revenge. I typically like fully fleshed out, brilliantly vibrant emotions and descriptions. However, I've not been feeling up-to-par as of late and the less detailed sex scenes in this book, at this particular moment in my life, were spot on. I don't believe I could have said that same thing two weeks ago.
Overall, I'd give this book a "good" review. It's not one I'd push on everyone, but if a friend had already read some of my other recommendations and just wanted something simple, I'd throw this title out. I'll likely read more in the series, but I won't have to reign myself in from blazing though them all at top speed.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Greywalker - Kat Richardson ( Greywalker Series, Bk 1)
2 May 2015
My reading schedule has slowed way down with real life intruding. It has been so long since I read books this regularly that I'd forgotten how nice it is. It makes me happy. Even when the book is over and you're left suddenly alone in a room, I'm glad I took the time.
But this post is about one particular book. Greywalker was not that great, in my opinion. There was a lot of added angst for no apparent reason. The author wanted to create the classic accept-your-fate dilemma, but it comes off weak. The book isn't that enthralling. The characters are meh, with one exception, who isn't even that prominent of a character. The idea is pulled off so-so. I am confident that placing this concept in another author's hands, this book could be good.
My reading schedule has slowed way down with real life intruding. It has been so long since I read books this regularly that I'd forgotten how nice it is. It makes me happy. Even when the book is over and you're left suddenly alone in a room, I'm glad I took the time.
But this post is about one particular book. Greywalker was not that great, in my opinion. There was a lot of added angst for no apparent reason. The author wanted to create the classic accept-your-fate dilemma, but it comes off weak. The book isn't that enthralling. The characters are meh, with one exception, who isn't even that prominent of a character. The idea is pulled off so-so. I am confident that placing this concept in another author's hands, this book could be good.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Hellblazer: Original Sins - Jamie Delano et. al. (Compilation 1)
14 Apr 2015
I've had a fascination with John Constantine for as long as I can remember and I have no idea why or how. I do not remember the first time I heard the name. I do not remember learning about him. He's been a character that I've known for too long like Batman or the Hulk that I don't remember when I first came across him. The bizarre part is unlike the 2 comic heroes I just named, Constantine is pretty obscure. He's too dark to be a family-friendly anything, and no one in my family or friends read comics growing up, so I have honestly no idea where I came across him. But I like him.
Hellblazer is just dark enough, dirty enough to hit a sweet spot for me. I like his flippancy. I like how he doesn't always save the day. I like how he makes such poor choices. I like how his suffering is largely his own doing. I like that he seems close to a real person.
My only complaint: It's a comic book. Ironic, I know, perhaps bordering on ridiculous to say that I really like this comic book character and then complain that it is, in fact, a comic book. I would be madly in love with Constantine if he were in standard book format. I could get lost. In the comic format, I can't. I know many would attempt to burn me at the stake for saying such, but books filled only with words are superior to comics.
I've had a fascination with John Constantine for as long as I can remember and I have no idea why or how. I do not remember the first time I heard the name. I do not remember learning about him. He's been a character that I've known for too long like Batman or the Hulk that I don't remember when I first came across him. The bizarre part is unlike the 2 comic heroes I just named, Constantine is pretty obscure. He's too dark to be a family-friendly anything, and no one in my family or friends read comics growing up, so I have honestly no idea where I came across him. But I like him.
Hellblazer is just dark enough, dirty enough to hit a sweet spot for me. I like his flippancy. I like how he doesn't always save the day. I like how he makes such poor choices. I like how his suffering is largely his own doing. I like that he seems close to a real person.
My only complaint: It's a comic book. Ironic, I know, perhaps bordering on ridiculous to say that I really like this comic book character and then complain that it is, in fact, a comic book. I would be madly in love with Constantine if he were in standard book format. I could get lost. In the comic format, I can't. I know many would attempt to burn me at the stake for saying such, but books filled only with words are superior to comics.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Danse Macabre - Stephen King
8 Apr 2015
An old book, it was written about the early to mid 80's but still interesting. I'm not well versed in the horror genre in any format, radio, book, movie, television, and especially in the cases listed in this book as they were all from before I was born. To me this was a gold mine of things to put on my "To see/read" list. Many of the classics I recognized, but didn't know the stories behind.
The best part of this book was observing the deconstruction of the genre by another author of it. So often when I see critics reviews on a movie, I assume the opposite. The critics hated it? Must be awesome!
In this case, Stephen King is commenting on his forebears and contemporaries, not from the perspective of some lord, as outside critics do, so we see an more accurate description of the good and the bad. He is also very honest in his description of the bimodal pattern of quality seen in the horror from the eras discussed: when it's good, it's really good but when it's bad, it's really bad.
Pick up this book if you're looking for a quality list of 20th century horror to get your hands on, or if you enjoy the musing of a young, but popular fiction author.
An old book, it was written about the early to mid 80's but still interesting. I'm not well versed in the horror genre in any format, radio, book, movie, television, and especially in the cases listed in this book as they were all from before I was born. To me this was a gold mine of things to put on my "To see/read" list. Many of the classics I recognized, but didn't know the stories behind.
The best part of this book was observing the deconstruction of the genre by another author of it. So often when I see critics reviews on a movie, I assume the opposite. The critics hated it? Must be awesome!
In this case, Stephen King is commenting on his forebears and contemporaries, not from the perspective of some lord, as outside critics do, so we see an more accurate description of the good and the bad. He is also very honest in his description of the bimodal pattern of quality seen in the horror from the eras discussed: when it's good, it's really good but when it's bad, it's really bad.
Pick up this book if you're looking for a quality list of 20th century horror to get your hands on, or if you enjoy the musing of a young, but popular fiction author.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Furies of Calderon - Jim Butcher (Codex Alera, Bk 1)
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.
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.
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.
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