Sunday, September 30, 2012
Review: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a much sillier book than its predecessor. And I loved every word.
This was Dahl "in spaaaaaaace......". Over the top situations, stupid adults, smart kid, crazy creatures. The only way it could have been better is if it had been served with melted caramel covering.
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
Review: The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
To sum up this book, Percy Jackson kicks Jason's ass, period.
Not literally, but in a characterizational way [and yes, I made up that word just for this].
To be fair, I've had a whole series to find out about Percy Jackson, and 1 book about Jason.
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
Review: Dragon Strike
Dragon Strike by E.E. Knight
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was boreder and boreder. And for me write those words, you better believe it.
Knight has almost lost me on his Vampire Earth series and has just about lost me on this series as well. How can someone have such cool overall ideas and then bore me to death?
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Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Review: Ninja High School Pocket Manga #5
Ninja High School Pocket Manga #5 by Ben Dunn
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
This wasn't about Feeple and the hot babes fighting over him.
It was about vampires and Professor Steamhead! I HATE steamhead stories. They are so pointless...
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dahl at his absolutely'ist bestist!
However, as an adult reading this, Dahl truly does make a horrifying situation. A family on the brink of starvation, death to exposure by elements, etc.
And then everything is better. The journey is fun, fantastic and rollicking.
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
Review: The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On one level this is just an old horror story about a mad scientist run amok. An island, the scientist, his weak willed helper, the shipwrecked narrator and of course, the monsters. Who aren't just monsters and that is what makes this a horror story.
On the other level you have a deeply disturbing humanistic philosophical tale about what makes a human. Wells' outlook is one of his times; the emerging materialistic/evolutionistic viewpoint that wants man to be no more than an animal and that we are just a rung on a ladder.
A disturbing story on both levels.
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Saturday, September 22, 2012
Review: The Secret Adversary
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book really should have been called The Accidental, Inept, Irrational & Stupid Amateur Detectives Get Lucky, Beyond Belief!.
I have come to realize that mysteries just can't win for me. The characters are either cold hearted professionals or bumbling amateurs.
So I enjoyed this for what it was.
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Friday, September 21, 2012
Review: The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I completely, thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
3 connected stories that deal with murder, spirits and magic. Nobody is safe from Elric and Stormbringer, nobody.
We get to see the first real hints of how Stormbringer might not be just a sword and how Elric is becoming reliant on it.
On the down side, we get some extremely slimmed down existential philosophy, but thankfully nothing like on the scale of [a:Steven Erikson|31232|Steven Erikson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1219169436p2/31232.jpg].
The blend of pathos, eros and good old horror are perfectly balanced with the heroic element of good vs evil.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Review: Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters
Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Unfortunately, these sets of stories are no longer canon, thanks to episodes 1-3 and the stupid Clone Wars tv series.
However, on their own, these stories were just as good, if not a touch better than the previous Tales book [[book:Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina|353479]].
The first story, about IG-88, was the best in my opinion. Robots are always cool and killer robots are wicked cool.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Review: The Murder at the Vicarage
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was much more enjoyable than the Hercule Poirot book I read a bit ago.
Part of that might have to do with the fact that Miss Marple is not the main character. A Vicar is. A laid back, keep the peace kind of guy. Easy to get along with and to read about.
Miss Marple is just a side character pointing out clues throughout the story. She isn't overbearing, arrogant and pushy.
Of course, Christie does seem fond of her villains trying to get caught to prove their innocence to cover their guilt. We'll see if that continues in other books.
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Monday, September 17, 2012
Review: Cerberus: A Wolf in the Fold
Cerberus: A Wolf in the Fold by Jack L. Chalker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
*cue music*
Transformers...
...Robots in disguise
*end music*
That actually pretty much sums up this whole book. Ok, maybe not QUITE, but where Lilith dealt with 'magic', Cerberus deals with mind switching. And we get some pretty cool ideas and actions that come from that ability.
And the Agent is being affected by his clones, which makes him more than just a mouthpiece for the story to be told through. Which is good :)
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
Review: King Rat King Rat
King Rat King Rat by James Clavell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The story about a military POW camp during WWII.
Centers around one man who makes it successfully
Not as enjoyable as [b:Shōgun|402093|Shōgun|James Clavell|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320426001s/402093.jpg|1755568] or [b:Gai-Jin|42929|Gai-Jin|James Clavell|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333578456s/42929.jpg|658129] however...
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Thursday, September 13, 2012
Review: xxxHolic, Vol. 02
xxxHolic, Vol. 02 by CLAMP
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Watanuki finds out some more about Yuuko. Also finds out that Domeki and he are tied together, and Watanuki can't stand that idea.
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Monday, September 10, 2012
Review: ¡Yotsuba! Vol. 11
¡Yotsuba! Vol. 11 by Kiyohiko Azuma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Yotsuba never fails to amuse. While some volumes have definitely been funnier than this one, this was just as cute and full of energy as all the previous volumes.
A much needed slice of light & fluffy...
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Sunday, September 09, 2012
Review: Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 11
Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 11 by CLAMP
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sadly, the whole book was taken up with the Piffle race and the fact that "someone" is breaking rules, for unknown reasons.
Not a big fan of Tomoyo-chan in the Tsubasa incarnation...
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Saturday, September 08, 2012
Review: Elric of Melniboné
Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dark, melancholic, but just enough hope to keep things from spiraling into hopeless horror.
Man, I ate this stuff up when I was a teen and young 20 something, reveling in hopeless despair.
Reading it now, it is just good writing. Very lyrical, sparse yet telling a wonderfully tragic tale. Sometimes sad can be ok.
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Friday, September 07, 2012
Review: The Dragon and the Djinn
The Dragon and the Djinn by Gordon R. Dickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dragon-wizard dude goes to the middle east, and inexplicably is an accomplished magician. Lots of eye-rolling and complete and utter dis-belief went on on my part as the reader, but I still had a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Maybe because Carolinus wasn't along?
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Thursday, September 06, 2012
Review: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Probably the best known book of the Chronicles of Narnia.
Lewis doesn't make any bones about his theology in this novel and yet still tells a tale that can enthrall any child and most adults [those who are not too jaded anyway].
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Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Review: Monstrous Regiment
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was amusing in some parts, extremely heavy handed in others. A good light read for one time. No plans on ever re-reading though, not like some of the first Discworld books...
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Review: Bio-Weapon
Bio-Weapon by Vaughn Heppner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I feel like I am reading some sort of train wreck with these books. I don't particularly "like" them, but I KNOW I am going to be reading the next one :-)
More fighting between the Social Unity and the Highborn with politics inserting itself and ruining everything. And our main character is stuck in the middle, again.
I think part of why I don't care that much for these is that both the S.U. and the Highborn are both entities that a normal human wouldn't want. And from the actions, or lack thereof, from the outer planet confederation [I can't remember if it was even really named], it doesn't seem much better.
So I am reading a survival story with no good options.
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Monday, September 03, 2012
Review: Control Point
Control Point by Myke Cole
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I was REALLY looking forward to this book. Big Vin Diesel looking guy on the front and X-MEN splashed all over it. Guns and magic.
And then I read it. And by page 40 came my first disappointment:
Oscar Britton is a black man.
Now, it is not what you think, at least if you're not just a liberal leaning judgmental douchebag.
The cover of the book showed the main character as white.
I was disappointed because the author didn't stand up for his character. I know that many covers don't portray what is in the book, or do distort it, but this was just sad.
I read about a character who is supposed to be a Lt. in the military. Being a Lt means he was supposed to have some experience under his belt.
What I got was a hot head who couldn't, or even worse, refused to think about his actions and what they would mean and their consequences.
Then, after that, even when he is given the opportunity to train and learn about his power, he just keeps reacting.
I guess I couldn't stand the fact that EVERY major decision Britton makes is simply a reaction based on either only his emotions, or incomplete data or both.
It was really more like reading about a young teenager than a grown man in the military.
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Sunday, September 02, 2012
Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While I enjoyed the overall plot and threading of the plot, I simply could not get over Hercule Poirot hiding information.
While it is explained in the end, the idea of hiding information about murder is just anathema to me. What if Poirot had been killed, or hurt or damaged in some way? Then all of his hiding of info would have been worse than useless!
So I am going to continue to read mysteries, as they are a different genre. But if this evasive selfishness is a standard part of the characters, then I don't know how long I'll keep with Christie.
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Saturday, September 01, 2012
Review: Defiant
Defiant by Mike Shepherd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book the most of the series so far.
2 different storylines that are almost 2 separate sub-plots. One about bringing political unity to some Hawaiin like world and the second about Princess Kristine saving her world from the Peterwalds.
The battle at the end was pretty good. I'd like to see the Peterwalds get a direct bloody nose instead of the indirects that have been happening. Oh well, I'm sure it is coming.
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