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Review Date: 3/14/2010
Enjoyable read and brief introduction to Ayn Rand's philosophy. While Rand tends to take her ideas to the extreme in her books, it's frightening looking at the world around us and seeing those in power slowly leading us down that path that if taken to a final conclusion could be the cause of Rand's world. Simple read, much easier to get into than her opus, Atlas Shrugged (which is necessary reading in it's own right)
Review Date: 3/14/2010
Helpful Score: 5
This book was a bit of an enigma for me. It came highly recommended so I was looking forward to reading it and in fact in jumped the queue ahead of many, many other books and was read almost as soon as I got it. It started off a little slow as it built some back story which was interesting enough. I soon began to fear however that this was slowly turning into a Richard Laymon style story. Sex for the sake of sex adding little to the story. However, I was pleasantly surprised, sure there was plenty of sex (not as much as most of Laymon's novels I've had the misfortune to read) and in fact it seemed to play nicely into the story. It wasn't really graphic and it was actually an important plot element which put this novel head and shoulders above Laymon (I know I'm picking on him a lot here).
I went about 300 pages into this 340 page novel thinking, Wow this is living up to the billing Ive heard about it. The tension was building, the characters and plot threads were all coming together nicely, and then.. just like that it was over. There was no satisfying resolution, good or bad for the characters. it just seemed to end. What a disappointment for what started off, and in fact stayed, a great novel most of the way through. The ending absolutely ruined it for me. Ive got one more Edward Lee book on the shelf that I will read some day, but Im in no real hurry now.
I went about 300 pages into this 340 page novel thinking, Wow this is living up to the billing Ive heard about it. The tension was building, the characters and plot threads were all coming together nicely, and then.. just like that it was over. There was no satisfying resolution, good or bad for the characters. it just seemed to end. What a disappointment for what started off, and in fact stayed, a great novel most of the way through. The ending absolutely ruined it for me. Ive got one more Edward Lee book on the shelf that I will read some day, but Im in no real hurry now.
Review Date: 12/5/2008
Helpful Score: 2
For me, book 9 of the Sword of Truth series started off real slow. In fact it stayed slow until the last 4 or 5 chapters. This was a tough one to keep moving through, but I've made it this far into the series and need to finish it up. Having said that, the last 4 or 5 chapters were superb and really moved the story along, in fact it made the rest of the book worthwhile reading, I just wish it would have gotten this far sooner. Unfortunately I'm not sure Terry could have done much more to make the book more riveting without decreasing some of the effectiveness of the plot. I've left this book looking forward to the final two books, but hoping they are more like the last 100 pages of this one instead of the first 700.
Review Date: 12/2/2008
Helpful Score: 3
I'm not sure why I picked this book up. Perhaps it was the interesting cover that first grabbed my attention. Reading the cover notes, it sounded interesting enough. In a nutshell, Christopher, an autistic boy investigates the murder of the neighbors dog and writes a book to tell his story. This book is that book. An interesting concept and in fact Mark Haddon pulls it off quite well. I completely believe that this book was written by an autistic child. That is also where it fails for me. After the first few chapters it got old. I'm sure this is exactly how it would be written if it were true, but goodness, the side paths that are taken just get old before too long. Many times I just wanted to put his one down, but it was short so I finished, though I did skip over paragraphs and whole chapters when it went off story. Some people may really enjoy this, but it's just not my style.
Review Date: 3/16/2009
Helpful Score: 9
Since Sanderson is the author tasked with the job of finishing the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan's death, I wanted to read some of his other works to get a feel for him. I picked up Elantris since it was a standalone novel, something that seems to be a bit of a rarity these days in the fantasy world. This started out strong as we're introduced to the characters and setting. The book is broken up into a triad of chapters. There are three viewpoint characters and we rotate through them every three chapters. Only one of them held my interest for the first half of the book. This is mostly a political themed book and there is little action in the first 200-300 pages. Plenty of important setup though and considering the story and where we are headed, it was needed to tell the story. While I typically enjoy a bit more action in my fantasy novels, I appreciate that Sanderson didn't sprinkle in some just to satisfy they "we must have massive battles every few pages, just to fill in the gaps between the story" trap that a lot of fantasy novels fall in to.
However, the second half of the book was worth the wait. There is a bit more action, still not a ton, but the pacing picks up and wow the twists. Branderson has a way of leading you in seemingly one direction only to throw a twist at you that at least I didn't expect. Everytime I thought I had the story figured out, I was wrong. That style of writing I enjoy. Well done. This is one I would definitly recommend to anyone and I will be picking up the remainder of Sanderson's books and anticipating his finale of Jordan's mammoth series.
However, the second half of the book was worth the wait. There is a bit more action, still not a ton, but the pacing picks up and wow the twists. Branderson has a way of leading you in seemingly one direction only to throw a twist at you that at least I didn't expect. Everytime I thought I had the story figured out, I was wrong. That style of writing I enjoy. Well done. This is one I would definitly recommend to anyone and I will be picking up the remainder of Sanderson's books and anticipating his finale of Jordan's mammoth series.
Review Date: 11/22/2008
Short book that started off slow and really didn't pick up until three quarters in. I really didn't feel much for the characters as they just didn't seem to develop well. There were two different plots that seemed unconnected and one just disappeared and seemed to be forgotten. Could have been two different books. This book seemed to be less of a story and more of an exposition into the genocide in central Africa. While the book wasn't horrible, just didn't hold my interest enough to want to read another. Good thing it was short or I may not have finished.
Review Date: 7/20/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I hate to say it, but I just couldn't finish this one. I really wanted to and it probably wouldn't have take that much effort to do so as it is a relatively short novel coming in at under 300 pages. But after fighting my way through half of it, I just didn't see the point in going any further. I didn't connect with any of the characters, in fact I felt confused most of the time as there seemed to be point of view and time jumps in the middle of a sentence at times. Just didn't have the energy to fight through it any more.
Review Date: 7/20/2009
Helpful Score: 4
Another good book finished up today. My first by Jack Ketchum even though he's been recommended to me by many people over the years. Hide and Seek starts off slow, but interesting. For most of the book I really had no idea where Ketchum was headed, but nonetheless it held my interest greatly. There was just enough tension of knowing something was going to happen, just not what. A few times, we were led down blind alleys and I thought, "Here we go..." only to realize soon, "whoops...that's not where we were supposed to be headed..."
Once we got to where we were going, the title became clear and I knew I was in for a ride. The atmosphere filled with tension and I found myself literally sitting on the edge of my seat while reading. Conclusion was satisfying, yet darker than I imagined it would be, with just enough resolutions to make me happy, yet a few unanswered questions that left me thinking about the book the rest of the evening. Very good and I'll likely be back to read more Ketchum.
Once we got to where we were going, the title became clear and I knew I was in for a ride. The atmosphere filled with tension and I found myself literally sitting on the edge of my seat while reading. Conclusion was satisfying, yet darker than I imagined it would be, with just enough resolutions to make me happy, yet a few unanswered questions that left me thinking about the book the rest of the evening. Very good and I'll likely be back to read more Ketchum.
Review Date: 12/13/2008
Not a bad follow up to the series opener Nemesis. Book 2 in the Indigo series, finds our heroine Indigo in a mining time transformed by an evil cult. Her job of course is to destroy the demon, one of the many that she released in book 1. Of course by story end, she has done so (or perhaps others have done that for her) and we move on to book 3.
Nothing special about this book. An enjoyable read that doesn't take much time. Does the series standout as one of the greats in the world of fantasy? No, but a decent read nonetheless. On to book 3.
Nothing special about this book. An enjoyable read that doesn't take much time. Does the series standout as one of the greats in the world of fantasy? No, but a decent read nonetheless. On to book 3.
Review Date: 11/22/2008
Helpful Score: 4
A friend of mine has talked about Lee Child's books quite a bit lately so I thought I'd give one a try. Overall not a bad story. I did have it pretty much figured out from the get go so as I moved through the story, there was not much suspense. However, I did enjoy the path from beginning to end. The middle slowed down and made it hard to pick up for a little bit, but the last third of the book picked up nicely and was very enjoyable. Jack Reacher intrigues me as a character and I'm looking forward to more of his adventures.
Review Date: 3/14/2010
Helpful Score: 1
What a great book, one of the best I've read in a long time. If you enjoy political intrigue in your fantasy, then this is the book for you. There is really not a lot of action, but Sanderson has a way of making the story feel "action filled". Characters are well fleshed out and I felt deeply about the characters. The book started out a bit slow, but really it was necessary to the story and all makes sense come the end. I knew exactly how this was going to end, but I didn't know how we would get there. There were enough twists and mysteries that I didn't have figured out so the ending stayed enjoyable. Even though this is the first book of a trilogy, things wrapped up nicely and this book really feels like a standalone. I definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Review Date: 7/20/2009
About a year ago I sat down over coffee with a friend and talked about what else, books. He related that a book stood out to him that he read as a youngster. That book being The Plant People by Dale Carlson. Always trusting Todd's instincts on books, I immediately went looking for a copy. I placed on my wishlist at Paperbackswap and about a year later this shows up in my mailbox.
I actually wasn't sure what to expect, as my friend gave only a brief synopsis, but was looking forward to it nontheless. This book is written for the young teen in mind and I spent all of about 20 minutes finishing it. Originally published in 1977, this book came across (too my adult mind) as more of a propaganda piece for the environmental movement than a book meant to entertain. Don't get me wrong, I was entertained for those 20 minutes and I tend to overlook most preachy or propagandizing in books, and this was no different.
Get past the "humans are destroying the earth and humanity is now being punished, save for the few true enviromental lovers" message and you have a brief (very brief) diversion and I have no doubt that a young teen or pre-teen would enjoy this one even more.
I actually wasn't sure what to expect, as my friend gave only a brief synopsis, but was looking forward to it nontheless. This book is written for the young teen in mind and I spent all of about 20 minutes finishing it. Originally published in 1977, this book came across (too my adult mind) as more of a propaganda piece for the environmental movement than a book meant to entertain. Don't get me wrong, I was entertained for those 20 minutes and I tend to overlook most preachy or propagandizing in books, and this was no different.
Get past the "humans are destroying the earth and humanity is now being punished, save for the few true enviromental lovers" message and you have a brief (very brief) diversion and I have no doubt that a young teen or pre-teen would enjoy this one even more.
Review Date: 3/14/2010
This was my first book from Dan Simmons. It seemed to get pretty good reviews and I had a few others of his sitting on my shelf, so when I picked up this one, his first, I thought why not start at the beginning with his works. Well I can't say that this is a great book, but I can't say that it's horrible either. I just wasn't moved by it as some others were. Sure he put some good words down on paper, he describes his settings, locations and characters well, but the story just didn't work for me. I think this may have worked better as a short story or novella, but as a full length, the pace was just too slow.
If I hadn't heard such great things about Dan, I may stop with this book, but I will continue on and read some of his newer works to see if he's improved. So many seem to love him, I really want to give him a shot.
If I hadn't heard such great things about Dan, I may stop with this book, but I will continue on and read some of his newer works to see if he's improved. So many seem to love him, I really want to give him a shot.
Review Date: 7/7/2009
Helpful Score: 3
What a good read this was. When I picked up this book I really wasn't sure what to expect, I had heard good things about the author, but honestly my expectations were not that high. It was one of those books that in the beginning I thought to myself, "This is moving too slow ... I'm not sure I'll enjoy this .... why bother reading...", but something about it kept me moving through it. I was enjoying it without realizing it, nothing like some stealth enjoyment. When the realization hit me about a 3rd of the way in that I was actually enjoying this and had been from the get go, I plowed through the rest and couldn't put it down.
What was it about this book that I enjoyed so much? Just the pure story telling that goes on. Guy Burt can tell a story. He can draw you in, make you feel for the characters, make you feel like you're watching the story unfold from afar. I really can't tell too much of the plot without giving it all away, but let's just say that you'll think you'll have it figured out, find out you're wrong, then figure it out again and once more realize you're wrong, then finally get a grasp of how it all plays out and think that you're right, but then realize you're wrong once more. Great stuff. If you enjoy the psychological thriller genre or if you enjoy any genre as long as it's a good read, go out and get this book.
What was it about this book that I enjoyed so much? Just the pure story telling that goes on. Guy Burt can tell a story. He can draw you in, make you feel for the characters, make you feel like you're watching the story unfold from afar. I really can't tell too much of the plot without giving it all away, but let's just say that you'll think you'll have it figured out, find out you're wrong, then figure it out again and once more realize you're wrong, then finally get a grasp of how it all plays out and think that you're right, but then realize you're wrong once more. Great stuff. If you enjoy the psychological thriller genre or if you enjoy any genre as long as it's a good read, go out and get this book.
Review Date: 11/16/2008
Helpful Score: 6
What a great story. I literally read this in about two hours. It was so good I couldn't put it down. I've read some of Barker's work in the past and they've been pretty heavy works. This was different. I almost want to say it was written with the teen or young adult in mind, as it was a very quick and easy read. Despite that, the story was great.
Mr. Hood's house had stood for a thousand years tempting children bored with their lives and looking for excitement. There is a price to pay for the bliss that the children receive. Harvey is different however, he sees through the charade and eventually sees the dark side of the house. He was the will power and courage to fight back against the house.
Some things seemed a bit stretched, but I'll forgive these minor issues because of the quality of this novel. I wish Clive would write more novels like this one. Great stuff.
Mr. Hood's house had stood for a thousand years tempting children bored with their lives and looking for excitement. There is a price to pay for the bliss that the children receive. Harvey is different however, he sees through the charade and eventually sees the dark side of the house. He was the will power and courage to fight back against the house.
Some things seemed a bit stretched, but I'll forgive these minor issues because of the quality of this novel. I wish Clive would write more novels like this one. Great stuff.
Review Date: 3/14/2010
I've enjoyed Lee Child in the past and Jack Reacher has been a favorite of mine. This however was not one of those that I really enjoyed. This just seemed to be 400 pages of not much happening, yet I read all the way through, thinking that this had to get better. Well other than the last two chapters, it really never did. This just never seemed to get off the ground for me. Oh, sure there were a few hot spots in there, but for me they seemed far and few between and never lasted long.... a long, slow tease that never materialized into anything more.
If this had been my first foray into the life of Jack Reacher, it probably would have been my last, but I know that Lee Child is so much better than this, that I will definitely be back for more.
If this had been my first foray into the life of Jack Reacher, it probably would have been my last, but I know that Lee Child is so much better than this, that I will definitely be back for more.
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