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Barry (solaris2k) - Reviews

1 to 7 of 7
Bad Dog : 278 Outspoken, Indecent, and Overdressed Dogs
Review Date: 1/14/2010
Helpful Score: 1


Cute idea, somewhat ruined by inane captions. If you find posed pix of dogs in costumes inherently funny (which I don't) then you may enjoy this.


The Celestine Prophecy
The Celestine Prophecy
Author: James Redfield
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 264
Review Date: 3/27/2010


Derivative of "The Teachings Of Don Juan" by Carlos Castenda. If you haven't read that book then you may get something out of "Celestine".


Concrete Island
Concrete Island
Author: J. G. Ballard
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 5
Review Date: 7/14/2019


Early Ballard, before he fully found his niche. Lots of exploration in these stories. The title story especially stuck with me, a tale of survival in an urban wasteland, with escape always just out of reach.


Spy Killer (Stories from the Golden Age)
Spy Killer (Stories from the Golden Age)
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 8/18/2015


I never read anything by LRH before, and never thought I would want to, but after seeing a few of these pulp stories for sale at Job Lot I was intrigued enough to bring a few home.
The style is classic pulp, tough guy heroes and venomous villains, and of course mysterious dames.
The pacing is quick, the action is hot and the plot is twisted. Just as a pulp story should be. To rehash the plot would be to give away too many juicy details.
Mr Hubbard's prose is colorful but not florid, and he seems to know his subject matter, the descriptions and references are most illustrative and evocative. Suffice it to say the book held my interest and kept me turning pages until the unexpected twist ending. I look forward to more of LRH's adventure stories.


Valkyrie: An Insider's Account of the Plot to Kill Hitler
Valkyrie: An Insider's Account of the Plot to Kill Hitler
Author: Hans Bernd Gisevius
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 1.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 8/18/2015


How can you make a book about the plot to kill Hitler, written by one of the conspirators, less than thrilling, and, indeed, tedious? Beats me. The whole first half of the book was spent introducing the characters. The author seems to want to point how what "good Germans" each one was. Perhaps he felt the need to stress the fact that they were not Nazi sympathizers or Hitlerian acolytes, at least by war's end. The climate of the times in which this book was published may have necessitated such an approach. But why make it so dull and unfocused?
It's not until the final quarter of the book, when the actual "Putsch" is attempted that the book gains any momentum. Perhaps also, this is where the author's personal experiences really begin, until that point he seems to have been an observer. I don't feel I gained much insight into the men who were driven to plot the assassination of their own commanding officer and head of state.


Waiting for the Wind
Waiting for the Wind
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 8/18/2015


excellent for late-night contemplative reading, best when all is still and quiet, except for the buzzing and chirping of insects and the rush of wind outside your window. this is a book to dip into when the mood strikes you. an entire book of haiku can get tedious, there is no need to read cover to cover without a break, take your time and let the book decide when to read it.


Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual
Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual
Author: Jonathan Winters
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 16
Review Date: 10/23/2010


Brilliant, funny, touching, sad tales by the biggest kid in the world.


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