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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I like John LeCarré spy novels and I like fantasy stories about djinis.
So I liked this novel.
And I particularly liked that Powers made his story fit the known facts about Kim Philby and other actual people he put in the story.
This is probably a better book than I am rating it at, but I just didn't like spending time in this world.
This is probably a better book than I am rating it at, but I just didn't like spending time in this world.
A collection of nine stories by the popular Canadian author, including "The Night of the …
After reading book after book with lots of violence, this collection of stories about offbeat kids was just what I needed.
Skilled, cautious, and anonymous, Jack Reacher is perfect for the job: to assassinate the vice …
I need to space out my Jack Reacher books. Reading them too close together puts me in a mental space where I think everyone I see is ready to do violence to me.
Unlike Jack Reacher, I'm not ready to handle it if they do. So the tension I feel probably doesn't do me any good.
I need to space out my Jack Reacher books. Reading them too close together puts me in a mental space where I think everyone I see is ready to do violence to me.
Unlike Jack Reacher, I'm not ready to handle it if they do. So the tension I feel probably doesn't do me any good.
Coupland's 2010 Massey Lecture is a real-time, five-hour story set in an airport cocktail lounge …
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.
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.
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.
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.
For a simple guy like me, this volume was much easier to read. Poldarn gets to learn who he is and we usually know who is who.
Not exactly an uplifting tail, but it's nothing like any other fantasy series out there.
For a simple guy like me, this volume was much easier to read. Poldarn gets to learn who he is and we usually know who is who.
Not exactly an uplifting tail, but it's nothing like any other fantasy series out there.
"On the island of Kavekana, Kai builds gods to order, then hands them to others …
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Bobiverse trilogy comes to a satisfactory end with this volume.
This is not cutting edge science fiction, but it was fun.
After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable …
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.
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.
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.
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.
"Being a sentient spaceship really should be more fun. But after spreading out through space …
The Bobiverse trilogy comes to a satisfactory end with this volume.
This is not cutting edge science fiction, but it was fun.
"The great city of Alt Coulumb is in crisis. The moon goddess Seril, long thought …
This one carries on in Alt Coulomb with most of the characters from Three Parts Dead.
Very pleasing.
Over the course of several months, two retail workers at an office supply superstore--Roger, a …
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.
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.
