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Review Date: 1/29/2024
Another good (not great) effort from the Patterson/Paetro team. This has a decent plot, some unexpected plot twists, and a semi-satisfying ending. I enjoyed spending the time reading it. I was just thinking that some of my lack of enthusiasm might be because the book is written from a woman's point of view - sorry if that makes me sound sexist. I'm used to reading books written in the third person or testosterone fueled tomes.
Review Date: 3/19/2024
Maybe this volume came together before SF and fantasy became separate literary entities, but that's my major beef with this volume. Some of the stories were "just okay" but there were a couple of gems in the volume. I don't read fantasy and skipped over those. Your experience could be different than mine.
Review Date: 6/8/2024
Writing was clear and crisp. Descriptions were riveting. Like many action adventure novels, the hero (in this case, The Gray Man) successfully defeats indomitable odds. Unlike some other novels, he doesn't come out unscathed. Despite getting injured, he manages to complete his mission and successfully is rescued from hostile territory. It was entertaining.
Review Date: 2/12/2011
I really enjoyed this book! It was a real trip down memory lane. The book has all the animal stars of my youth - Clarence the cross-eyed lion, Flipper, Lassie, Benji, and others. They also have some from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that I saw on late night TV. Animal Actors has highlights all the way to the mid-90s (when the book was published). It was fun being reminded of who was in the cast of my favorite shows and movies. There were a lot of behind the scenes info as well as background on how the stars were "discovered". Lots of pictures as well as text - makes a great "talk-about" book!
Review Date: 5/18/2024
It's obvious to me that the author has spent a lot of time considering the role of women in the military. He raises valid points of discussion and methods to overcome a female's physical attributes that are lacking when compared to a male's. Note, I am not saying that the differences are deficiencies per se, but differences in strength, height, stamina, etc., are established realities. Kratman addresses the differences with logic and solutions that make sense in the real world. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next in the series
Review Date: 2/19/2024
Let's just say it, Greaney can write. This is another believable tale about a private security detachment accompanying some government representatives into the mountains of Mexico to try to broker a peace treaty/cease fire. Naturally, there's treachery along the way and the protagonist, an amputee named Duffy, has to extricate himself and his men from the area. The tale well written and kept my attention. Recommended.
Review Date: 12/21/2021
I like short stories so it was an easy decision to read this collection. I didn't find any real outstanding or earth shattering tales in this volume, just some decent writing. A couple made me chuckle and a couple made me roll my eyes. I didn't skip any as I have been known to do if I'm put off by the writing. All in all, this was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
Review Date: 8/22/2024
I enjoy this series because, unlike other dystopian novels, the characters are actually working to restore society. They're not facing a zombie apocalypse or other fantastic epidemic. Society is in shambles and the characters, in their own little way, are restoring what they can. The books are well written and the plot flows smoothly. Recommended.
Review Date: 3/27/2024
Truthfully, I only read half of this book. Every story was well written. They ran a gamut of subjects. Some were complete unto themselves. Others seemed as if they were the first chapter or an introduction to a longer tale and left me with a sense of dissatisfaction. Others just left me perplexed. So I'm leaving off to more predictable climes. Recommended, but read at your own peril.
Review Date: 1/6/2024
Helpful Score: 1
I read about 100 pages of this novel and was about to give up. Reading some reviews by other readers caused me to continue reading. I should have gone with my original sentiment.
I think that this book is classed as a fantasy horror novel. It reads like a young adult novel with adult themes. While I was reading this, I was reminded of the Harry Potter novels. It wasn't the subject matter but the phrasing and overly flowery language. Also, the outlandish or alliterative names of various characters brought some English farcical novels to mind. I thought the plot was outlandish and I didn't like the stratagem of jumping back to the childhood of the protagonist in every other chapter.
I was glad that I got to read this book as a free Amazon "first read". I would have really been disappointed if I paid good money for this...
I think that this book is classed as a fantasy horror novel. It reads like a young adult novel with adult themes. While I was reading this, I was reminded of the Harry Potter novels. It wasn't the subject matter but the phrasing and overly flowery language. Also, the outlandish or alliterative names of various characters brought some English farcical novels to mind. I thought the plot was outlandish and I didn't like the stratagem of jumping back to the childhood of the protagonist in every other chapter.
I was glad that I got to read this book as a free Amazon "first read". I would have really been disappointed if I paid good money for this...
Review Date: 3/6/2024
This book was an interesting piece of fluff. Written in the farcical style of the 30s, I was reminded of the Topper novels by Thorne Smith. Interestingly, every piece of the puzzle was laid out in plain sight, but, because of the style of writing, I didn't see the obvious. I don't want to write any spoilers so I'll just say that it's not in Hunter's normal style but still a novel well worth reading.
Review Date: 5/5/2024
I enjoy this series which is edited by Otto Penzler and has guest editors for each annual volume. This one had Nelson DeMille as the guest editor. The twenty stories were all good, a couple were disturbing. None were so memorable as to cause nightmares or act as an entry into a literary discussion. I'd recommend it.
Review Date: 5/22/2024
Though the writing was good, the stories in this collection were not what I consider traditional mysteries. In fact, to me the greatest mystery was why some were included! I've enjoyed other annuals in this series of books but I never realized how much the editor influenced the content of each. This one definitely shows the influence and taste of Oates, an author whom I've never followed. For some it might be excellent, but not me!
Review Date: 10/5/2024
Once again I'm left scratching my head. Why were some of these stories included in a mystery anthology? Most were well written but I didn't think some of them were mysteries. They were short stories. Some had violence and killings but they were not mysteries, at best they could be classed as crime stories. I guess I won't read any more mystery anthologies edited by Pelecanos. Recommended for some of the stories, but not as an anthology of mysteries.
The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (A Superior Shores Anthology)
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Review Date: 3/19/2024
I enjoyed this book. The stories were entertaining and a good length for reading while waiting for my various appointments. I don't remember any story as being outstanding nor were any terrible.
Review Date: 3/19/2024
Lansdale is a great writer - sometimes the stories are gory, incomprehensible, politically incorrect, or just plain enthralling. Today's college students may have to go to their "safety zones" after reading his tomes. I had already read some of the stories contained in this volume, but I reread them because Mr. Lansdale is just so darned readable. As they used to say in some insipid commercial - Try it, you'll like it!
Review Date: 3/11/2024
This is not the type of book that I normally read. In my old age (I'm 70+), I prefer books that give me enjoyment without too much thought. Does that make me shallow? Perhaps... In any case, this was a crime novel, not an action/adventure novel. As such, it gripped me at a visceral level and was a bit disturbing. The protagonist of the book is a bad - not evil - man who wants to be good. Throughout the story he performs a number of evil acts with the presumption that they will result in an ultimate good. Without revealing any plot details, I guess I can say that this premise is ambiguous at best. I'm still thinking about this one...
Review Date: 3/19/2024
I'm a Brett Battles aficionado. I read all his stuff. This latest of the Excoms series kept me up until 2:00 AM to finish it. Yes, the plot is far fetched but the action grabs you by the seat of your pants and throws you into the mix. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.
Review Date: 12/5/2023
Lansdale describes this book as a Mosaic Novel. I'm not sure I like the format. It's a loosely connected series of stories that relate to Hap growing up in East Texas. I was expecting a Hap and Leonard thriller and got this instead! Yes, Lansdale's writing is spot on and I learned something about the characters that I didn't realize before (e.g., Hap and Leonard are in their 70s now. I should have realized this since we know that Leonard served in Viet Nam but it never clicked). Some of the anecdotal stories were very good, others were disturbing for one reason or another. I enjoyed them all to a certain extent. Yes, I'd recommend this book, but, if you're looking for a normal Hap and Leonard novel, this isn't where you're going to find it.
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: Tales of Future Combat and Mechanized Warfare
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Book Type: Paperback
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Review Date: 12/26/2023
This is military sci-fi! Shoot 'em up. Blow âem up. No REMF chicken regs here. I thought this was an outstanding collection of short stories that punches one in the gut. Full of action. It was what I think of as classic science fiction. The weapons, space armor, and transport seem to be based of possible future science. Highly recommended.
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