This series has always been so lukewarm for me. Everyone in the reviews keeps saying it gets better after book X. I kept pushing through, hoping to beThis series has always been so lukewarm for me. Everyone in the reviews keeps saying it gets better after book X. I kept pushing through, hoping to be rewarded for my patience. Unfortunately, it just didn't pan out for me. I will admit this is easily the best book in the series so far. Being the best doesn't necessarily mean it's a great read. It just means it's better than what came before it.
It took way too many books to establish a stable roster of characters, a unified theme, and a clear plot direction. I found it next to impossible to care anymore. What really irks me about this series is the childish almost-always sexual attempts at humor. It's nerd humor and not well done at that. I'm clearly not the intended audience. I'm happy to finally put this series behind me and focus on potentially better reads....more
While I enjoyed it more than The Haunting of Hill House, that's not saying much in my situation. It was a creepy affair where I struggled to grasp theWhile I enjoyed it more than The Haunting of Hill House, that's not saying much in my situation. It was a creepy affair where I struggled to grasp the characters until the very last page. I'm not sure if Shirley Jackson's intent was to keep us guessing. Was there really a murder? Is one of them a killer? Are some characters actually ghosts? What is the cousin's true intentions?
It was a slow burn without too much of a payout. Maybe you need to love the characters to enjoy this one immensely. It might make a decent Halloween read to set the tone. This book is dripping with macabre.
Australia is easily the most unique place on Earth. 80% of the nature that inhabits it is only found there. It's also possible that the Aboriginals thAustralia is easily the most unique place on Earth. 80% of the nature that inhabits it is only found there. It's also possible that the Aboriginals that inhabited the land before European settlers are the oldest group of people in history. This and many more facts can be found here wrapped up in a story about crazy misadventures in a strange and foreign land of immeasurable beauty. Do yourself a favor and check it out....more
I was surprised to find out from a friend that C.S. Lewis, the guy who wrote Narnia, also wrote about Christianity. I dove into this one with an open I was surprised to find out from a friend that C.S. Lewis, the guy who wrote Narnia, also wrote about Christianity. I dove into this one with an open mind and it gave me plenty to think about. Lewis does a nice job in trying to simplify and explain complicated and often open-ended concepts portrayed in the Bible. If you're curious about the teachings of the Bible or want to understand it a bit better, this is a great place to start....more
It started off promising enough. I instantly felt Coraline and Graveyard Book vibes. It sorta fizzled out for me halfway through and never picked up. It started off promising enough. I instantly felt Coraline and Graveyard Book vibes. It sorta fizzled out for me halfway through and never picked up. I felt like the witches always had some secret fix for every problem that they never explained to the reader. This just kept happening again and again, which led to more confusion. Also the fact that the main character starts the book as an older man already foreshadows that he doesn't die, which takes a lot of the tension out. This is probably my least favorite Gaiman book....more
The slow creeping descent into madness. When patterns appear that aren't there. When those patterns move. When a woman's silhouette haunts you. DisturThe slow creeping descent into madness. When patterns appear that aren't there. When those patterns move. When a woman's silhouette haunts you. Disturbing....more
What an adorable Christmas story! It's difficult to find true love like this. Goes to show you that no prized possession can compare to the real valuaWhat an adorable Christmas story! It's difficult to find true love like this. Goes to show you that no prized possession can compare to the real valuable thing in our lives. That is the people we share our day to day with. There's definitely Hallmark made for television movies out there of this book....more
If you loved the first one, you'll feel right at home. It's more crazy scenarios with even wilder characters. Add in a pinch of properly timed humor aIf you loved the first one, you'll feel right at home. It's more crazy scenarios with even wilder characters. Add in a pinch of properly timed humor and it's quite enjoyable. The book is broken up into 3 stories all revolving around Carney with Pepper playing a major supporting role. It's a light read and can be easily consumed even if you haven't read Harlem Shuffle....more
I only came to find out this was turned into a movie by the cover of the book I borrowed. I was surprised to find out this was a history book and not I only came to find out this was turned into a movie by the cover of the book I borrowed. I was surprised to find out this was a history book and not one written in a narrative style. I'll check out the movie to see what they've created out of it to relive the insanity.
This thing is a conspiracy theoriest's wet dream. I truly had no knowledge of the Osage's existence, wealth, and tragedies. The amount of proven and unproven murders covered here is staggering. I don't understand how people could be so cruel towards Native Americans. They were treated as sub humans and possibly worse than freed blacks at that time. Wow! Definitely check out this book and educate yourself on this dark chapter of American history that no school would cover in their curriculum....more
I had two questions I wanted answered. The first was, what makes music so enjoyable? The second is why we enjoy some music, but not others? This book I had two questions I wanted answered. The first was, what makes music so enjoyable? The second is why we enjoy some music, but not others? This book didn't really give me satisfying answers to those questions. I don't want to blame the author, as I think he did a fine job in explaining a lot and giving me food for thought. I believe the real trouble is that we really don't know. We understand some concepts and can draw conclusions from that, but as of right now, there isn't a clear-cut answer.
Seems music is enjoyable due to the perfect combination of simplicity and complexity. It has to be simple enough that our brains can recognize patterns and can be fairly successful at predicting what's to come. It also has to be complex enough where we can still be surprised and overwhelmed at the right moments to excite us. When you think of it from this viewpoint then it totally makes sense why people categorize music into genres. Genres are great indicators of whether or not someone will be likely to enjoy what they hear based on past experiences. With this in mind, people can learn to enjoy a genre if they get enough exposure to it.
That still doesn't really explain why we find it enjoyable. I come away from this book with a lot of knowledge gained, such as what differentiates noise from music as seen by our brains, but I'm still craving more satisfying conclusions....more
If you're a nerdy type who loves documentaries and learning new things, then this is a must-read. It has opened up a lot of conversation possibilitiesIf you're a nerdy type who loves documentaries and learning new things, then this is a must-read. It has opened up a lot of conversation possibilities. It totally engrossed my mind. I think my favorite new fact is that humans don't produce pheromones. I don't know why this shocked me so much. Maybe I'm a victim of marketing, but I was convinced we do. Also, as a caution, don't Google or Wikipedia smallpox. Yikes! Stuff of nightmares....more
You start the book being told that Celaena is the greatest assassin in the world. Her identity is still a mystery to the world even though she was capYou start the book being told that Celaena is the greatest assassin in the world. Her identity is still a mystery to the world even though she was captured. Then, the rest of the book does an unbelievable job in making you realize it's a big fat lie. Maybe her title is one of those new participation prize type deals to not hurt her, obviously sensitive beyond all reason, feelings.
I don't know if I buy the whole assassin thing, but one thing is definitely clear: she's extremely attractive. Even as a bag of bones fresh from a prison work camp, people can't help but fall in love with her. If I had to break down the action to romance ratio, it would be something akin to 80% romance 20% action. Who will our wannabe badass choose?
This is worse than Sarah J. Maas' other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I found to be lukewarm. You would think the saving grace is cool fight scenes, but those don't make much sense. Apparently, you can get beaten to a bloody pulp, but somehow, you're okay. You can even talk like normal with a broken jaw! I thought I read that wrong. It makes wrestling seem real. It was the magic element that shined here. It somewhat revived this rotting corpse of a book....more
A story about Peyton Farquhar, a man condemned to be hanged. I really love how much detail goes into painting the scenes in older literature like thisA story about Peyton Farquhar, a man condemned to be hanged. I really love how much detail goes into painting the scenes in older literature like this. For a story this short, it's surprisingly extremely detailed. This may take the cake as the best depiction of what it feels like to be hanged. It's so grotesque. The ending begs for the story to be re-read....more
I'm not really sure what happened here. Book 1 was decent, and the follow-up was incredible. I naturally assumed this series would get better with eacI'm not really sure what happened here. Book 1 was decent, and the follow-up was incredible. I naturally assumed this series would get better with each entry. The plot here was so dull and took forever to pick up (about halfway through). Even in the second half, I was reluctant to care about anyone besides Murderbot.
The pattern to these books is that Murderbot is out and about investigating what really happened when it went crazy and killed a bunch of people. In order to not seem suspicious, Murderbot has to sneak its way around disguised as a human. It always somehow injects itself into some conflict that it needs to solve to sell its means of disguise.
I don't know if it was the lack of ART (Murderbot's partner from book 2) or that this particular group of screw ups were extra annoying, but it felt lackluster. Murderbot has a partner in this entry, but it just doesn't hold a candle to ART. I'm hoping the next one revives my faith in this series....more
Joe Abercrombie seems incapable of writing a flop. I loved this book way too much. It had me invested faster than I thought possible, and it didn't leJoe Abercrombie seems incapable of writing a flop. I loved this book way too much. It had me invested faster than I thought possible, and it didn't let up. Every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, I was pleasantly surprised. The ending wasn't like anything I could have imagined. Abercrombie really brings fantasy back to life like no other author. It's always gruesome, fun, and humorous. It's difficult to find a cliché in this story. Romance is initiated and over before you can blink. That's perfect for a guy like me. Sappy writing can really slow down the plot to a grinding halt. Stephen King comes to mind as a bad offender of this in the Dark Tower fantasy series.
Even though this is a book one of a trilogy, it seems rather complete. Thank you, Joe, for that! I hate when the first entry feels like the world's longest introduction to something better, which sadly is usually the final book. There's a small hint of what the next story could be about, but my track record of guessing is pretty dismal....more
Those claiming the plot is out of the realm of possibility must have been asleep at the wheel in 2020 during covid. A time the entire world lost a lotThose claiming the plot is out of the realm of possibility must have been asleep at the wheel in 2020 during covid. A time the entire world lost a lot of their basic rights, seemingly overnight, over a virus we didn't even understand fully. So yes, I can easily see something like this happening, especially when you analyze the hesitation and fear people have been expressing over the booming AI business of today. Regardless of all that, isn't it our job as readers to allow some flexibility and fairy dust in the hopes of being told a great story? Skepticism is the death of creativity.
With that being said, I loved Daniel's Robopocalypse and wanted to love this too, but the plot seemed to fall flat on its face after multiple stumbles on the way there. The second half of the book feels like the author had a deadline and only a few hours to throw something together. How did an editor not pick up on all the inconsistencies? Even the plot twist felt beyond forced. Needless to say, the conclusion didn't really matter.
I also think the action fight scenes just weren't done very well and this is probably because the mechanics of the various levels weren't explained beyond a one-sentence prompt before it's activated. Each prompt seemed eerily similar as well. I had a hard time believing that having lightning fast reflexes and high intelligence somehow makes your body super strong. If that was the case, then video game nerds would dominate strong man competitions.
I remember watching Richard Pryor movies as a child and loving them. In my adulthood, as I became obsessed with stand-up comedy, I dove into the treasI remember watching Richard Pryor movies as a child and loving them. In my adulthood, as I became obsessed with stand-up comedy, I dove into the treasure trove known as Pryor's stand-up specials. I still consider his work some of the best, especially when you factor in how risqué his material was at the time of filming. As an autobiography junkie, I was beyond ready for this book. I expected it to be lighthearted and comical like Pryor's work and other autobiographies I've read. Boy, was I wrong.
This book cemented the idea that the best comedy comes from a very dark place buried deep inside the comedian. The late great Robin Williams comes to mind. Richard grew up poor and in probably one of the worst environments for a kid to grow up in. His talents quickly skyrocketed him to stardom, but he never dealt with his childhood trauma. Instead, his entire life is just one long drug-filled sex-capade. The number of women, broken relationships, ruined marriages, and children is staggering. The drug and alcohol binges range from awful to deadly. When you factor in his MS diagnosis, it's no wonder he passed away in his 60s. I think, and I think Richard would agree, that he has lived much longer than anyone anticipated.
This was a great read into a very troubled but highly intelligent mind. Pryor's ability to self reflect and analyze was the reason his comedy was so enjoyable. That clearly shines in this book. There's even some funny inner monolog here worthy of his namesake....more
This book is not for the faint of heart. It was downright disgusting. Who would have thought a book on blindness would be so gruesome? I was uncomfortThis book is not for the faint of heart. It was downright disgusting. Who would have thought a book on blindness would be so gruesome? I was uncomfortable from start to finish, but I also couldn't put it down. If you love books about feces and urine, then this is your holy grail.
All jokes aside, I enjoyed it immensely. What a concept. I don't see why a plague couldn't affect eyesight. It is terrifying to think about, especially when this did such a great job outlining the possible struggles and injustices. There was a character who was the eyes for everyone else, but I feel like it was a missed opportunity to not have a character who was blind before the pandemic. This person would be much better adjusted to living blindly and could have taught others some valuable skills....more
What a pleasant follow-up novel. I feel like any awkwardness in the first entry has been smoothed out. To anyone who has read this, I think it's obvioWhat a pleasant follow-up novel. I feel like any awkwardness in the first entry has been smoothed out. To anyone who has read this, I think it's obvious that the new character ART is the shining star in this. Murderbot's and ART's partnership works out so well. It's almost like a buddy comedy at this point. With how short and easy to read these books are, I'm starting book 3 immediately. I need more Murderbot!...more
Autobiographies narrated by the star of the book are my bread and butter. I was very excited to finally dive into Jennette's. I remember watching iCarAutobiographies narrated by the star of the book are my bread and butter. I was very excited to finally dive into Jennette's. I remember watching iCarly and Sam & Cat at my best friend's house when I was younger. What made this even more exciting was the hype this book received because of the Dan Schneider controversy surrounding it. With a title like this one, you know you're in for an emotional roller-coaster.
True to the title, it's quickly evident why Jennette would feel relieved by the passing of her mother. As she was going through the motions of her life and the loss, it took her some time and therapy to fully grasp what her life has really been to up that point. It's really sad, but its not the first nor last time a parent will shovel their dreams down their kid's throat whether they like it or not (thinking of my favorite autobiography, Open by Andre Agassi).
I would have loved to give this book 5 stars, but there is one major glaring issue. The whole Dan Schneider debacle was completely avoided. She refers to him as the creator and barely gives any details of what went on. To make matters worse, she took the time out to include that she passed up $300,000 from Nickelodeon just so she won't have be quieted. Was that just an outright lie? Is she going to write a separate book about it? Serious WTF moment. I got more info off Dan's Wikipedia page than this entire book!...more
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