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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 through the camp and then collapses when they are freed due to his having made the camp his world. He can't deal with starting from scratch again and climbing up again out in the real world.

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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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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