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nickelbook - - Reviews

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Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
Author: Stephen King
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 21
Review Date: 3/20/2015


If you don't already know, Stephen King is very verbose. While that's awesome if you like the story he's telling, it's not so awesome if you find it boring (I'm looking at you Bag of Bones and Gerald's Game). That said, Stephen King is a master storyteller. If you are not drawn into one of his books in the first few chapters, move onto a different one. He has many absolutely fantastic novels. As for this one, some stories are great and some are mediocre, but the best part is that they are all short so there are no long drawn-out boring scenes. By the time you realize that you don't really like a story it's almost over.


Go Ask Alice
Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 436
Review Date: 6/1/2011


Imagine a diary from a troubled 15 year old girl from the 70s. Then imagine a corporation that stands to lose a lot of money if drugs were legalized. Now imagine that the corporation contracted someone to write the fake diary of a troubled 15 year old girl with the intent to scare the bejesus out of parents who know nothing about illicit drugs. GO ASK ALICE is what that book would be.

While the underlying message may be somewhat relevant to parents that are concerned about their children getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, only a child (or parent) living under a rock would take it seriously. I would highly discourage any parent from allowing their child to read this book. I would instead recommend that they watch REEFER MADNESS so they can at least gain some entertainment value from such dated material.


House of Leaves
House of Leaves
Author: Mark Z. Danielewski
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 157
Review Date: 5/12/2010
Helpful Score: 3


This book defies so many conventions of every other novel I have ever read. It is profound and maddening and brilliant all at the same time! It took a conscious effort to read this book as it doesn't have a simple block of text on every page that normal books do, but this book is far from normal. Reading it was like climbing a mountain of madness where every page was a step towards the peak, and once I reached the top I was finally able to look back with a new found perspective on life and the fragility of the human condition. This is a mountain you never really climb down from, and a part of this book stays with me to this day.


I Am Legend
I Am Legend
Author: Richard Matheson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 156
Review Date: 6/10/2011


"I Am Legend" was an excellent short story. So excellent that it inspired two movies that I am aware of: "Omega Man" with Charlton Heston and the more recent movie with Will Smith. Unfortunately, this is a collection of eleven short stories and "I Am Legend" was the first and best one that I read. I stopped reading after the fourth story. I'm not saying that the other stories weren't good. They just didn't surprise me like this one.


Neutron Star
Neutron Star
Author: Larry Niven
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 4/15/2011


Very enjoyable collection of short stories. I was also pleased that they all took place in the same universe.


Neutron Star (Ballantine SF, U6120)
Neutron Star (Ballantine SF, U6120)
Author: Larry Niven
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 6/1/2011


I am always amazed when I read a book that was written so long ago (1967) that doesn't feel dated. This was great Sci-Fi then and it is still great now.

It is a collection of short stories that take place in the same universe. Some contain recurring characters and some do not, but each one is a worthwhile read.


Oleanna
Oleanna
Author: David Mamet
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 7
Review Date: 5/16/2010


It's not that this is not a good play, I just hated the characters. If you ever have a chance to see the movie with William H. Macy you will see just how unlikeable the characters are. Sometimes I think David Mamet wrote this only to try to prove that there are some situations where it doesn't matter how sensible you are, sometimes you just have to hit a woman.


Replay
Replay
Author: Ken Grimwood
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 31
Review Date: 2/14/2019


Loved it! For anyone that has fantasized about being able to go back and relive your life with your memories intact, this is a book for you.


Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, Bk 4)
Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, Bk 4)
Author: John Scalzi
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 69
Review Date: 6/28/2011
Helpful Score: 2


It had been over two years since I finished reading the third book of the Old Man's War series before I picked this one up. I was worried that it was just going to be a rehash of the last book but told from the perspective of a 16 year old girl. I was wrong.

This is another great addition to the series and I highly recommend it to any Scalzi fan.


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