Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road

Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Age of Innocence (Classic)

Review:

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.

Title: The Age of Innocence

Series: ------

Author: Edith Wharton

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: Classic

Pages: 305

Synopsis:

Newland Archer marries one woman while loving another. And while the ending isn't a horrible double murder/suicide, [ha] it is just as empty and meaningless.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this. Wharton was a master wordsmith and her skill at weaving a story together just kept me tied to the pages.

Each weekend that I'd read my allotted 25% was something that I looked forward to. It has been awhile since I've had a book like this.

With that being said...

This has to be one of the saddest, emptiest books I've read in quite some time as well. Newland is tied down with Convention, hoisted up on a cross of Ideals, that are based on Nothing. There is nothing worse than Empty Ideals. It is like seeing someone wrapped in chains and being thrown into a pool of piranhas. One little difference and those Empty Ideals can be Ideals and those chains can become Life Lines, offering escape from those piranhas.

Bleh.

As much as I enjoyed this, I don't think I'll be reading any more by Wharton. I do not want to fill my Mind with this depressing stuff. I also know I used a lot of Caps. I'm just in that kind of mood right now.

I could write a lot about this book, but you know what? I don't want to. The above encapsulates everything I need to know so in 10 years I can remember why I didn't read anymore of Wharton.

I still recommend this book. Weird, isn't it?

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1241325/the-age-of-innocence-classic

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Influx

Review:

Title: Influx

Series: -----

Author: Daniel Suarez

Rating: 1 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 530

Synopsis:

A secret branch of the United States government has been hoarding advanced technology. However, they now are advancing their procedures from Protect and Serve to Rule.

Only the combined might of a group of geniuses has a hope of stopping a megalomaniac and his A.I.'s.

My Thoughts:

Techy and then just deux ex machina time after time. And homosexuality hits again.

It is really making me question whether I want to keep on in the SFF vein of books.

I hate when principles cut across one's life.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1238023/influx

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The Golden Elephant (Rogue Angel #14)

Review:

Title: The Golden Elephant

Series: Rogue Angel

Author: Alex Archer

Rating: 1 of 5 Stars

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 315

Synopsis:

Roux loses all his money and sends Annja out to recover a priceless artifact so he, Roux, can sell it to a collector.

Annja gathers a team, and in a race against a tomb raider, finds a lost city, beats off 2 armies, saves the treasure and becomes BFF's with aforementioned tomb raider.

My Thoughts:

This series has lost me with this book. I don't expect much from ghost written action girl series, but this went beyond "a mess" into full on "terrible".

First, Roux losing most, or all, of his money. That is so much garbage that I don't even know how to respond to it. The man has had 500 years to perfect his poker face and yet we're expected to believe he's almost broke? Ridiculous Number 1.

Second, Tomb Raider girl. An african princess, with severe daddy issues, has deux machine pistols and robs tombs. A tip of the hat to Lara Croft? Only if you're a senseless dolt. This was ripoff, pure and simple.

Thirdly, the "philosophical" talks between Annja and Miss Tomb Raider consisted of T.R. saying her piece and Annja going "oh yeah, I guess you're kind of right..." Bad philosophy, or even wrong philosophy, is one thing but LAZY philosophy isn't acceptable. I wanted to jump into the story and just rip apart Tomb Raider's supposed arguments.

Fourthly, the "token" lesbian. I'm a Christian and don't accept the homosexual lifestyle as something that is ok, but even I was embarrassed at just how shallow and pathetic this 2 paragraph part of the story was. Change it "token christian" and you would have had a black woman hollering "Jesus save me!" once or twice and that would have been that. Write it well or go home.

Finally, the collateral damage. I'm a big fan of lots of death in action/adventure stories. But when just about everybody dies simply to clean up the story and Annja is weeping hysterically one moment over them and the partying the next, well, it is pathetic.

So in conclusion, this was just a sad sack of a story and with the lacklustre of this and the past couple of books, I think I'll be done. I need to find some good series instead of settling for pathetic and mediocre.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1231449/the-golden-elephant-rogue-angel-14

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Nautilus Sanction (Time Wars #5)

Review:

Title: The Nautilus Sanction

Series: Time Wars

Author: Simon Hawke

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 244

Synopsis:

The insane Russian from the previous novel, who happens to be a time rebel and the son of one of the most important men in the Time Military, sets out to be Captain Nemo and cause so many time splits that everyone will just have to live with it.

We are also introduced to a crazy genius [crazy seems to be rampant in these books] and Jules Verne, as well as our usual cast of Heroes.

My Thoughts:

Honestly, this was pretty meh and just kind of silly.

All of the "authors are so smart and observant and brilliant and creative" bs got on my nerves too. Maybe "authors" are all that, but in this day and age I see "writers", not "authors".

I'm giving this series one more book to keep me hooked. Otherwise, it's Curtains!

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1229227/the-nautilus-sanction-time-wars-5

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Satan's Sabbath (The Executioner #38)

Review:

Title: Satan's Sabbath

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 109

Synopsis:

Bolan has ONE more hit to make, to finish his mission of taking down the Mafia. But he has to run the gauntlet of Mafia who have seen his face and deal with a traitor in Brognola's group who has it out for them all.

Can Mack survive long enough to start the War on the rest of the world?

My Thoughts:

The final run for the series by Pendleton. After this book, it goes to ghost writers and a more international scene.

There was nothing bad about this book, it was just as run of the mill as the previous ones. The mafia has been done and Pendleton just ran out of ideas to make this interesting and engaging. Kind of just chugging along to get to the end here.

I've got the next 4 or 5 in the series and I'll see if things get interesting again with a new worldwide venue and new ghost authors. If it picks up, I'll keep on reading. If not, then I'll be done. I want to read more, as Macho Man Action Hero really appeals to me and I need a good dose of Testosterone every once in a while.

So Sarge, it's been real. Keep it hard.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1227346/satan-s-sabbath-the-executioner-38

Saturday, August 08, 2015

Bloodwars (Vampire World #3) (Necroscope #8)

Review:

Title: Bloodwars

Series: Vampire World, Necroscope

Author: Brian Lumley

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Pages: 944

Synopsis:

Nathan Keogh returns to his homeworld, with our world's weaponry and some of our toughest ESP'ers in his entourage.

For it is time to put an End to the vampires, once and for all!

My Thoughts:

The official page count for the book is somewhere in the 800's, but the kindle edition I was reading had almost 950 pages. I'm wondering if page breaks were inserted between changes of POV as well as chapter breaks.

That aside, this was a long book. And, sadly, it was boring. Boring enough that I won't be reading any more.

I never liked Harry Keogh the Necroscope and I didn't like his son Nathan the Necroscope either. I liked some of the supporting characters, but they were just that, supporting. The endless cycle of "kill ALL the vampires, oh look we missed some, oops, here we go again" is ok for a couple of books, but for 8? Not for me. I know the series has at least 7-10 more books, so I'm quitting while I'm ahead.

I'll remember this series fondly for making vampires the monstrous embodiment of evil that they are.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1224262/bloodwars-vampire-world-3-necroscope-8

Sunday, August 02, 2015

The White Rose (The Chronicles of the Black Company #3)

Review:

Title: The White Rose

Series: The Chronicles of the Black Company

Author: Glenn Cook

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 343

Synopsis:

The Black Company, fully thrown in with the White Rose, is hiding out in the desert protected by the Rose's null magic field.

Resurrectionists are still hard at work trying to raise the Dominator and the Lady is gathering an unstoppable army to finish off the Black Company and the White Rose.

My Thoughts:

Enjoyed this and Cutter is still an amusing narrator.

A good adventure story that has a semi-happy ending. The Black Company is disbanded at the end, but making one final trip to their origins to drop off the vaunted Chronicles. Cutter and the Lady hook up [no surprise there!] and the White Rose has fulfilled her destiny in dealing with the Dominator.

This very much seemed like an ending to a series. I know there are more, but perhaps this was the original trilogy? If I don't like the next book or 2, at least I liked this trilogy. It was good stuff.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1217846/the-white-rose-the-chronicles-of-the-black-company-3

Saturday, August 01, 2015

Act of War

Review:

Title: Act of War

Series: -----

Author: Dale Brown

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 432

Synopsis:

The United States gets nuked. With the potential for more. A military science geek has been working on a powered exoskeleton for infantry and gets his chance to showboat.

However, sinister forces lurk in the background and may bring ruin and mayhem to all that Americans hold most dear [ie, themselves].

My Thoughts:

This was recommended to me by somebody, but I didn't write a private note on who it was before I added it to my TBR list, so now I can't remember.

So thank you Nameless Person who isn't really Nameless but I Just Forgot.

If you know who you are, please let me know because I really needed this read at this time and I'd like to thank you.

This was flufferific. Nothing but action and mecha and badguys getting their collective asses kicked all over. And the best part? Lots of them are old school commies and commie pinkos! Nothing I like better than a good commie bashing.

The bad was the United States getting nuked. I am NOT a Superman IV kind of guy, but the use of nukes scares me pants-less, like it is supposed to!

My only other experience with Dale Brown is the book Hammerheads, from back in highschool. All I remember about that is some guys with sledgehammers bashing a plane apart, or something. So I don't know if this book is typical or not, but I'll probably get a couple more for when I need some blow'em up action that's easy on the plot.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1217337/act-of-war

July '15 Roundup

The pictures aren't in order as I read the books, but I guess that is just the neurotic cataloging side of me showing :-)

This collage was done at Ipiccy.com with the gunmetal font. I finally signed up, as the last several months I have used them over the other sites that offer free collages. I am using the iphone4 layout, as it allows almost all of the cover to be shown instead of cutting them off at random points.

Not a bad month, as I read 15 books. However, several of those were DNF's. I am thankful to have learned to DNF a book, but I still don't like it. No 5 stars, but I don't expect many of those in a year, so no disappointment there.

Average rating for the month came to 2.96, which since I hover around the 3.02 mark, is exactly average. And I wish I could come up with some witty "average" remark right now, but it is eluding me.

1) Friday's Feast - Don Pendleton - 3 Stars

2) Satan's Gambit - Brian Moses - 2 Stars

3) Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds - Brian Daley - 4 Stars

4) Gabriel's Horn - Alex Archer - 3 Stars

5) Shadow's Linger - Glen Cook - 3.5 Stars

6) The Warlord - Jason Frost - 3.5 Stars

7) Blood and Bullets - James Tuck - 3 Stars

8) Dryad-Born - Jeff Wheeler - 3 Stars/DNF

9) Deathstalker Rebellion - Simon Green - 3.5 Stars

10) The Tejano Conflict - Steve Perry - 1 Star/DNF

11) Operation Odessa - Yoshikazu Yasuhiko - 4 Stars

12) The Fall of Highwatch - Mark Sehestedt - 3 Stars

13) Fathers and Sons - Ivan Turgenev - 4 Stars

14) ATLAS 2 - Isaac Hooke - 3 Stars

15) World's End - Mark Chadbourn - 1 Star/DNF

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1217060/july-15-roundup