Review: Noble House

Noble House by James Clavell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I am finished!
So many threads that had nothing to do with the Struans, merely impinged upon them.

Politics, business, personal life, blah blah blah.

I did enjoy reading this, but it was so "much", so big that I felt swamped. I couldn't recommend this unless the person liked the previous books tremendously.

I don't know if I'll end up reading [b:Whirlwind|42932|Whirlwind|James Clavell|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1259118177s/42932.jpg|848085] or not.



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Review: Zero Point

Zero Point by Neal Asher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I really wish I had read the Owner short stories before reading the first book, would have upped my enjoyment of things.

And since I've read them, I enjoyed this book a bit more. Seeing the Proctors come into being [even though it really felt very deus ex machina as to HOW they came into being], Saul's plan to go somewhere else, the supersciences, the battles, the crazy earth lady. It all came together in one big ultra violent, messy shoot-em up masher.

Enjoyable.



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Review: Earth

Earth by David Brin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I read this back in highschool, and so along with the other 2 Brin books, [b:Earthclan|101887|Earthclan|David Brin|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1171482058s/101887.jpg|98228], I decided to re-read them all.

Sadly, this was so filled with Brin's earth philosophy that the story was barely there.

It was pretty cool overall, gravity lasers, etc.

But Dear Lord, the proselytizing that went on.

I am glad I've re-read these 3 books, but I won't be reading them again, or any other of Brin's books.



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Review: Alien 3

Alien 3 by Alan Dean Foster

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Several years ago I bought a truckload of books from some guy on Craigslist. A ton of hardcovers and a bunch of paperbacks.

I put the majority of them up on Paperbackswap.com and got rid of them, but I still have about 2-3 shelves of books I haven't been able to get rid off. In the wintertime I can't take my ereader to work [as I work outside and sub-freezing weather doesn't agree with the ereader], so I fall back on paperbooks.

I've seen Aliens, so wanted to see what happened after and I needed a book to read at lunch.

Bleh. Stilted and boring....



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Review: Death Comes As the End

Death Comes As the End by Agatha Christie

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I just kept waiting for everyone to put on top hats, and start speaking in an english accent.

The overall setting just didn't work for me...



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Review: Assault on Soho

Assault on Soho by Don Pendleton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Weakest storyline so far.

More was made of the kinky sex shop than the gun battles. Lame-o...



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Review: The White Mountains

The White Mountains by John Christopher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This story has been read by me since middleschool, so I've got very fond memories of it, and so I judge it ever so lightly.

It is for kids and young adults. Readable by adults, but not to be enjoyed as much.

If The War of the Worlds had not gone our way, this story is what would have come of it...



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Review: The Monk

The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



A monk gives in to his baser nature and in the end receives his just due.

And we get so many sidestories about minor characters that it really should have been entitled "A look at fallen humanity in its many forms".



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Review: Blood and Bone

Blood and Bone by Ian C. Esslemont

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Another continent, another bit of the Crimson Guard, another shard of the Crippled God.

and lots and lots of grossness. From bodily functions to rotting viscera to wholesale gruesomely detailed slaughter.

And the soldier who thinks. Eegads, I am tired of soldiers who think...



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Review: Across Five Aprils

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Absolutely blew me away.
The American Civil War from the eyes of a boy who experiences it from his family's farm. Brothers go to either side, etc, etc.

Hunt did a fantastic job of showing a young boy growing into manhood while experiencing one of our countries worst times. It was sad, it was inspiring, it was fantastic.

I know I read this back in either elementary or middleschool, but I am glad I read it as an adult. So many things, on an emotional level, that I never would have picked up on earlier in life. The pain of a family torn apart. The joy of hero worship. The awkwardness of a child becoming an adult and disagreeing with the parents. The realization that peace is not a simple process. That mankind has both heroes and venal minded villains.



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