Reviews and Comments

David Scrimshaw Locked account

DScrimshaw@bookwyrm.world

Joined 9 months, 3 weeks ago

An avid sci-fi and fantasy reader who sometimes does historical fiction or even mainstream.

You might notice that most of my reviews are 5 stars. That's because if I start reading a book that doesn't engage me, I stop reading it. Life is too short. I've realized that it's not fair to review a book I haven't read and nobody really needs to hear why I didn't get into a book especially when they might like it.

My goals with reviews are to be brief and give other potential readers an idea of why they might like the book. I leave it to the marketing people and other reviewers to describe the plots.

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After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable …

Review of 'Blackfish City' on 'Storygraph'

This was fun. Reminiscent of Neal Stephenson.

No talking cats or mice, but people bonded with animals. If there's a sequel, we can hope someone to bond with a cat or a rodent.

Douglas Coupland: The gum thief (2008, Bloomsbury)

Over the course of several months, two retail workers at an office supply superstore--Roger, a …

Review of 'The gum thief' on 'Storygraph'

This book has a novel inside a novel and then... there's a novel inside the novel that is inside the novel!

I don't really know if that's a good thing. I was not very interested in the third level down. I cared about the characters in the main novel. Maybe it was deliberate that I wouldn't care so much the further levels down.

The main novel characters know each other from the Staples they work at. That was definitely fun.

And I'm happy to report that this book was in my big pile of books to read and now I can put it in one of the nearby little free libraries.

Lee Child: Tripwire (Paperback, 2000, Bantam Books)

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is lying low in Key West, digging up swimming pools by …

Review of 'Tripwire' on 'Storygraph'

I was happy to see that on this, Jack Reacher doesn't get sucked into a murderous plot because he's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead, it's because someone went looking for him.

And Jack Reacher is one big and tough guy. I cannot understand how they have Tom Cruise playing him in movies.

Douglas Coupland: Player One (2010, Anansi)

Coupland's 2010 Massey Lecture is a real-time, five-hour story set in an airport cocktail lounge …

Review of 'Player One' on 'Storygraph'

This was interesting for a while but then I just wanted it to be over with and to find out what had happened.

Coupland ends the book by telling you what happened to everyone, breaking the writing rule of "don't tell, show".

It wasn't very engaging, but since I'd reached the point where I wanted it to be over, I was okay with it.

Douglas Coupland: Player One (2011, Penguin Random House, Windmill Books)

Review of 'Player One' on 'Storygraph'

This was interesting for a while but then I just wanted it to be over with and to find out what had happened.

Coupland ends the book by telling you what happened to everyone, breaking the writing rule of "don't tell, show".

It wasn't very engaging, but since I'd reached the point where I wanted it to be over, I was okay with it.

Max Gladstone: Full fathom five (2014)

"On the island of Kavekana, Kai builds gods to order, then hands them to others …

Review of 'Full fathom five' on 'Storygraph'

This is a great fantasy series.

And so far, all the books end properly, so if you can't read the next book right away, it's all right. I mean, you will want to read the next one because you'll want to spend more time with some of the characters, but it will be okay if you have to wait a while.

Douglas Coupland: Worst. Person. Ever (2014)

A razor-sharp portrait of a morally bankrupt and gleefully wicked modern man, Worst. Person. Ever. …

Review of 'Worst. Person. Ever' on 'Storygraph'

Only 4 stars instead of 5, because, this guy might not be the worst person ever, but he's really not a good guy and how much time do you want to spend around a guy like this?

On the other hand, I read the whole book and lately, I'm stopping a lot after a couple of chapters or even half way and I did want to find out how this story ended.