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David Scrimshaw Locked account

DScrimshaw@bookwyrm.world

Joined 1 year, 11 months 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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David Scrimshaw's books

Currently Reading

Lev Grossman: Codex (2005, Harcourt)

About to depart on his first vacation in years, Edward Wozny, a hot-shot young investment …

Review of 'Codex' on 'Storygraph'

If you've read all the [book:The Magicians|6101718] books, which you should if you had any affection for the Narnia books, you might want more Lev Grossman.

This one moves along and the characters are interesting. But if you want to feel like you know what's going on when a story ends, I think you have to be smarter than me.

I don't know if this really qualifies as fantasy.

Charles Stross: Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe (Tor Books)

331 pages ; 21 cm

Review of 'Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe' on 'Storygraph'

If you're into Charles Stross and his Family Trade books you'll read this and nothing I can say will stop you.

Not that I would want to.

If you're into alternate universe stories and don't mind being reminded how authoritarian and irrational our reality is becoming, the Family Trade series is a good one.

This book is frustrating because it ends just when the story gets really interesting. But what are you going to do? Wait three years until they all get published? Maybe longer?

Charles Stross: Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe (Tor Books)

331 pages ; 24 cm

Review of 'Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe' on 'Storygraph'

If you're into Charles Stross and his Family Trade books you'll read this and nothing I can say will stop you.

Not that I would want to.

If you're into alternate universe stories and don't mind being reminded how authoritarian and irrational our reality is becoming, the Family Trade series is a good one.

This book is frustrating because it ends just when the story gets really interesting. But what are you going to do? Wait three years until they all get published? Maybe longer?

Dave Hutchinson: Europe in Winter (EBook, 2016, Solaris)

Review of 'Europe in Winter' on 'Storygraph'

I often do not like books where I don't know what's going on, but I completely liked this book and the whole series.

I suspect the difference is that the main character, Rudi, also never knew what was going on. The series is over and I don't think either of us still know what was going on.

I figure before long, I'll read the trilogy over again.

Guess what! I just did some research for you and I discovered that he plans to write a book called Europe at Dawn! The series is not over!

As a side bonus - these books make me want to visit eastern Europe - places like Prague and Warsaw. And to pay more attention to my cooking.

Louise Penny: A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)

Review of 'A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)' on 'Storygraph'

This is #7 about Inspector Gamache. It's terrific and I'll keep reading these books as long as Ms Penny writes them.

But I do have a complaint about this one. Inspector Gamache and his crack team seem to know nothing about Alcoholics Anonymous at the beginning of this story. I've never been a member, but I've watched enough TV shows and read enough books to recognize a line from the serenity prayer and to know something about the steps a recovering alcoholic is supposed to take.

I'm also a little surprised that they had to look at microfiche for 20 year old articles at La Presse, but maybe that's accurate.

Heather O'Neill: The Lonely Hearts Hotel

Review of 'The Lonely Hearts Hotel' on 'Storygraph'

I don't know that I'd start reading Heather O'Neill with this book. I think she's a must-read and I still do.

There's a circus in this book, which is why I assume they compared it to the Night Circus in the blurb. I only read about half of the Night Circus because I got bored and didn't care what happened.

With this book, I cared. Not the best idea with a Heather O'Neill story, but it's not like I had a choice.

I'm about ready for something with a talking mouse.

Annie Proulx: Barkskins (2016, Scribner)

"Bark Skins open in New France in the late 18th century as Rene Sel, an …

Review of 'Barkskins' on 'Storygraph'

You don't need me to tell you that Annie Proulx is a terrific writer.

This is a long book. I had to check it out twice to finish it. The story spans centuries. That means that, except for a few people at the end, just about everybody dies.

So it's a long read and if you're like me, it will often make you sad.

But if you feel any connection to trees or forests, you should read Barkskins.

And who isn't connected to trees and forests?

"Bark Skins open in New France in the late 18th century as Rene Sel, an …

Review of 'Barkskins' on 'Storygraph'

You don't need me to tell you that Annie Proulx is a terrific writer.

This is a long book. I had to check it out twice to finish it. The story spans centuries. That means that, except for a few people at the end, just about everybody dies.

So it's a long read and if you're like me, it will often make you sad.

But if you feel any connection to trees or forests, you should read Barkskins.

And who isn't connected to trees and forests?

Stuart Ross, Stuart Ross, Stuart  Ross: Confessions of a Small Press Racketeer (Paperback, 2004, Anvil Press)

Review of 'Confessions of a Small Press Racketeer' on 'Storygraph'

Stuart's old columns about poetry, books, readings, small presses and other writers made me want to write again.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and not just because he refers to one of my friends as his "arch-nemesis" and another one of my friends as a guy "who wears a beret and writes like a Canadian Bukowski".

Genevieve Valentine: Persona (2015, Saga Press)

Review of 'Persona' on 'Storygraph'

This is science fiction because it is set in a near future where international politics and journalism works a little differently than it does now.

It moved along and I enjoyed it, but even now that I've finished it, I don't really know what was going on and that is something I don't really like in a book.

It is an interesting take on politics and reality TV intersecting.

Genevieve Valentine: Persona (Paperback, Gallery / Saga Press)

Review of 'Persona' on 'Storygraph'

This is science fiction because it is set in a near future where international politics and journalism works a little differently than it does now.

It moved along and I enjoyed it, but even now that I've finished it, I don't really know what was going on and that is something I don't really like in a book.

It is an interesting take on politics and reality TV intersecting.

Review of 'Wayne Gretzky in the house of the sleeping beauties' on 'Storygraph'

I didn't meet Michael until the 1990s, so I didn't start acquiring his books until then. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to see if the library had any of his books that I haven't read.

Michael writes poems that are like brilliant short stories.

I wish I'd met him sooner and had more of his poems to read.

Elmore Leonard: Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories (Paperback, HarperTorch)

Trust was rare and precious in the wide-open towns that sprung up like weeds on …

Review of 'Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories' on 'Storygraph'

Even though I love Elmore Leonard's writing, I had always avoided his early cowboy stories because I'm not into cowboy stories.

But I really enjoyed these.

The stories move right along and with just a few words, he gets right into someone else's head.

If you're thinking you might like to try something different from what you usually read, try some Elmore Leonard.