This book is oddly relevant to the current political climate of our world. As I have been trying my best to escape that over the past few years, maybeThis book is oddly relevant to the current political climate of our world. As I have been trying my best to escape that over the past few years, maybe this book was not the best one to read right now!
However, it is a very interesting and thought-provoking book with the theater of politics at its core. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends all depending on which leader is saying what is right and what is wrong at the time. We watch one of the fathers of a political philosophy become one of its victims as a new rank of ideas comes to power. In the process, he becomes jailed with the very people he was responsible for putting there. Also, people he knows become guilty by association even though they really haven’t done anything at all.
Really it is all just one big chess match where nothing has really changed except for perceptions and which people decide which ideas are going to be executed. It would almost be funny if it is not so scary in its consequences.
4 stars for this interesting exploration into political folly. But not something to read if you don’t want to be frustrated and possibly angered by the futility of people killing each other over who has the “right” political idea at the time. ...more
Ah, you know what you are going to be getting with McManus; always a teen drama/mystery with lots of cheese that reads like a scripts for a teen dramaAh, you know what you are going to be getting with McManus; always a teen drama/mystery with lots of cheese that reads like a scripts for a teen drama TV show (uh, I only know about that because my wife watches those . . . uh, yeah . . . that’s it!) But, while you know what you are getting, you can never be sure if you are getting something good or something mediocre. McManus has been up and down for me after reading a few of her other books. So, how did this one stack up?
I am going to go 4 stars, but I want to stress that through a lot of it I was leaning heavily towards three and, at times, even two.
The book starts off well, but the middle is mired in unbelievable plot twists and confusing dialogue. The reason that it ramped back up to 4 after the middle is that there was an a-ha moment near the climax of the story that actually made me vocalize “OH DANG!” and from that point on I was back into it. When I have a physical or vocal reaction to a book, it gets a star back!
Should you read it?
Do you like McManus’ other works? Do you enjoy teen drama TV shows? Do you ask for extra cheese on your pizza? Yes, you should
Do you not like books with a lot of cheese, unbelievable twists, and convoluted dialogue that might make it difficult to stay focused through the middle of the book? Then you should proceed with caution! ...more
I enjoyed this entry in the Will Trent series. I don’t remember much about the second book in the series, but I do remember I didn’t really care for iI enjoyed this entry in the Will Trent series. I don’t remember much about the second book in the series, but I do remember I didn’t really care for it as much as previous Slaughter titles so I was worried that maybe this would not be the series for me. But, with the ties back to Grant County and the uniquely bizarre mystery I was able to stay invested in this one. Also, one thing that sometimes turns me off to mysteries that did not happen with this one is that it did not seem to become intentionally convoluted and confusing. Often, I feel like authors figure if they make the mystery as confusing as possible it will constitute a good book. Or maybe I am just easily confused! ...more
“Emojis don’t always mean what you think they mean. To be safe, steer clear of all fruits and vegetables.”
A silly but humorous book. Quick read with l“Emojis don’t always mean what you think they mean. To be safe, steer clear of all fruits and vegetables.”
A silly but humorous book. Quick read with lots of relatable stuff for a dad of my age. This may have just been an elaborate marketing ploy for Progressive to capitalize on the popularity of their Dr. Rick commercials, but I am okay with that!
“While watching sports, there are people whose job it is to announce what’s happening. You’re not one of those people.”
I had a lot of fun, I laughed out loud, it made my wait at the airport go by quickly. All signs of a quality and worthwhile read!
“Unless you’re planning on skydiving or wearing all your clothes at a water park, there’s no reason to attach all your accessories to your body. Just because you can strap something to your body, doesn’t mean you should.” ...more
Hatchet is a Young Adult classic and award winner that I have heard a lot about over the years and have always wanted to read. I love it when I am seaHatchet is a Young Adult classic and award winner that I have heard a lot about over the years and have always wanted to read. I love it when I am searching for an audiobook and books like this pop up as available. I think, “Ah ha! I can finally get to this one!”
It did not take me long to get through Hatchet during my daily lunchtime walks. It held my interest throughout, but probably wasn’t even long enough to lose it! It is definitely geared toward pre and early teens – however, there are a couple of more difficult topics (like death and survival) that this might be a kids first introduction to (unless they are like me and started reading Stephen King at 12!) If my kids decide to try this one out, I will be there for them if they have any questions about it.
Should you read this book? It is not bad for a quick read, but it may prove to be too simple for some peoples’ tastes. If you can adjust your mindset and think of it like a 10- to 13-year-old would, I think you will appreciate it more. Luckily, as I mentioned it is not very long, you are not committing too much of your time if it ends up not being your cup of tea. ...more
I was not sure if I would finish the Gwendy trilogy. I really liked the first book but did not care much for the second one. If it was not for the facI was not sure if I would finish the Gwendy trilogy. I really liked the first book but did not care much for the second one. If it was not for the fact that this book was available on Overdrive when I was looking for something to listen to, I am not sure I would have given it a shot.
I must admit I am glad I did. It was much better than the second book and a fitting end to the story.
A mix of mystery, sci-fi, and horror; it has all the elements you love from Stephen King. His collaboration with Chizmar was very good on this and I wonder how much of it is King and how much of it is Chizmar. Something I read previously (don’t ask me to site my source because I honestly don’t remember) led me to believe this series is mostly Chizmar with King mainly serving as inspiration. I cannot say if that is truly the case, but it would make sense.
One maybe “complaint” is that this book gets very political. I didn’t used to have an issue with politics in books, but after the past few years I am exhausted by it and want my books to be an escape. You are definitely not escaping modern political opinions in this one. I am not going to focus on which side of things the politics fall in this book (I am bet all of you probably can guess which way they fall) because all of it exhausts me!
So, politics aside, it is a better book than the second one, has a good ending, and I am 100% glad I finished this adventure. Should you try the trilogy? I am not sure that I can recommend it, but I am also not sure I can discourage you. At least each of the books are short so if you get to a place you just don’t feel like it is working for you, at least you will have not committed too much time to it! ...more
This book was a very pleasant surprise! Not that I was expecting I wouldn’t like it, I just never know with classics on must read lists. Often it is hThis book was a very pleasant surprise! Not that I was expecting I wouldn’t like it, I just never know with classics on must read lists. Often it is hard for me to determine what about the book gets people excited about it or what exactly made it a classic. With Death Comes for the Archbishop, it was not difficult to see the appeal at all!
I listened to this book in its entirety in one sitting on the road coming back from Spring Break. The storytelling and the characters were a great way to pass the time and end a fantastic vacation. I wish all books I try as “road books” ended up being this good because I have encountered some that try their best to put me to sleep!
The structure of the plot is a series of short stories all taking place in the world of missionaries in the American Southwest during the expansion of the country. The story is influenced by a lot of real-life circumstances involving cultural clashes, native people, cowboys/frontiersmen, and old religion vs new religion. The characters you meet along the way are extremely interesting and extremely fascinating to follow on their journey.
One thing I think I appreciated the most about this book is that it is quick and too the point. Often it seems like these classics drag things out unnecessarily and it starts to get kind of bloated and boring. Cather sticks to what is important and keeps the story moving along which is I think is much better than overdoing it with excess exposition.
You should give this one a try – I hope you will be pleasantly surprised as well! ...more
I am giving this book 3 stars because I was expecting so much more. And, maybe the author accomplished what he was going for with this book, but afterI am giving this book 3 stars because I was expecting so much more. And, maybe the author accomplished what he was going for with this book, but after his book A Gentleman in Moscow and the expectations I got from the first fourth (or so) of this book, it felt like it tapered off into rambling inconsistency. It wasn’t hard to follow, but I am still not quite sure what I read.
First of all, this book is called The Lincoln Highway and the cover features a car on a road by a train. To me, looks like a road trip book reminiscent of On the Road maybe . . . with the spirt of Route 66 perhaps. Well, that is my fault for judging a book by its cover and title. It is a road trip book of sorts, but not the one you are led to believe you are getting into in the beginning. Also, The Lincoln Highway itself barely plays a part in the whole book – just being mentioned a few times and gives the reader the anticipation that you are eventually going to get to it. But, spoiler alert . . . you never do.
It's not all negative, though. I do enjoy Towles storytelling. I think if I had approached this book thinking of it as a series of tied together vignettes (sometimes tied very loosely), I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It is almost as if he had a bunch of ideas for characters with interesting backstories and tried his best to incorporate them all into one book. So, if you are reading my review before you read this book, keep this in mind and I think you will enjoy it a whole lot more.
In summary . . . still a good book but my experience tainted by it never really living up to my expectations. ...more
I swear that I read this when I was younger, but when I went to add this to Goodreads as a re-read (it was the January selection for my Completist BooI swear that I read this when I was younger, but when I went to add this to Goodreads as a re-read (it was the January selection for my Completist Book Club), I did not find it in my list. And, because this is one of those books that has a plot people tend to know because of movies and/or its general pop culture relevance, it is difficult for me to know which parts of my memories of this are from the book and which are from other places. But, re-read or not, I am glad I read it in January 2022.
This is classic sci fi. It is easy to see how many parts of this led to the tropes we see in literary and cinematic sci-fi today. And it is pretty amazing the creativity Wells had for coming up with such vivid and scientifically based alien technology and biology. This book was way ahead of its time!
While the setting is late 1800s England (horse carriages, telegrams, etc.), it is not hard to picture this in a modern setting. Wells did a great job making the story timeless. Often when I read books set in this era, they may be good, but they can also feel dated – not a bad thing, it is just that time moves on. But, with this one, society may have advanced, but it did not feel like time had moved on.
If you love the classics and/or love sci-fi and you have not read this book, I feel like it is a must for you to get it on your list right away. I was leaning toward 4 stars on this book, but the classic status and the effect it has had on sci fi over the years push that up to 5 stars!...more
The third Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson adventure – and they are starting to accumulate quite a cast of other regulars as well! This is quickly becoming aThe third Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson adventure – and they are starting to accumulate quite a cast of other regulars as well! This is quickly becoming another “must-read-as-the-books-are-released” series from Preston & Child.
I give this one 4.5 stars and it might be my favorite one in the series so far. Part of the reason for that is that, while the other two are good, I think it usually takes a few books for a series to get settled in. The story is very intriguing and mysterious. The plot is action packed. There is the always appreciated tongue in cheek humor.
If you like Preston & Child but haven’t started this series yet . . . you should. If you liked the first two Nora and Corrie books and are wondering if you should continue . . . you should!
Below is my summary of the book that I shared in a biddy read chat. Only click if you have read the book already or you don’t care about spoilers:
V is for Vendetta is one of those graphic novels that I would think that everyone at least kind of knows about due to the 2005 movie with Natalie PortV is for Vendetta is one of those graphic novels that I would think that everyone at least kind of knows about due to the 2005 movie with Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving or the fact that the Guy Fawkes mask from it has become a popular pop culture symbol. It has been a long time since I have seen the movie, but it feels like in many ways it followed the graphic novel closely. But, if you want the full experience of the story as it was meant to be, reading the graphic novel is a must.
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This was definitely the longest it ever took me to complete a graphic novel. This is not the fault of the graphic novel itself, it just happened to be chosen as the monthly read for one of my book clubs when I was in the midst of one of the worst reading slumps of my life. Because of this, I never really gained any momentum with this one. So, do not look at the length of time it took me to read this one and it does not really reflect my experience with it at all.
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However, I would not say I am in with the people who were blown away by this book or feel like the experience is life changing. I know that this story has a passionate following considering it has become the symbol of how some people feel about government in general. It is very easy to see why this is the case as this book doesn’t pull any punches in the same way that 1984 didn’t pull any punches. And, while I can 100% appreciate that, I didn’t quite connect with this as much as I had hoped. I truly think that this relates to the fact that time in my life that I met this book. Over the past few years of dealing with political debate in America, I have become quite exhausted with it all, so I think this felt like reading the news that I have been trying to avoid!
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All that being said, it is a good and thought-provoking story. If you enjoy dystopian fiction and don’t mind when it doesn’t fall too far from the reality tree, then you will find something here to scratch your reading itch.
Usually, I enjoy Riley Sager . . . that was not really the case here.
The book was a series of far-fetched coincidences that made the book laughable inUsually, I enjoy Riley Sager . . . that was not really the case here.
The book was a series of far-fetched coincidences that made the book laughable instead of thrilling. Seriously, instead of being blown away by how the plot progressed I found myself laughing out loud instead. In fact, at one point I said to my wife (we were listening to it together) wouldn’t it be stupid if this is the next plot twist . . . and then it was . . .
So, if you are used to gems from Sager, be prepared to not be quite so blown away this time. One book like this will not sour me on Sager overall, but I really hope this is not a sign of things to come....more
I believe American Dirt had some controversy around it. As the world is so full of controversy right now, I didn’t dig into what the controversy was sI believe American Dirt had some controversy around it. As the world is so full of controversy right now, I didn’t dig into what the controversy was so I could just focus on the book. Maybe someday I will look into it further.
American Dirt is a story of normal people dealing with the unfairness of real-world horrors that they are forced to face; people like you and me whose only mistake was being born somewhere where day to day life is scary and chaotic. If you are blessed to live somewhere where you don’t have to live in fear every day, you will feel even more blessed after reading this book.
I found the story and the plight of the main characters to be very intriguing. Much of the plot harkens back to other books with migrant stories – like Grapes of Wrath. So, if you have read books like those before, chances are you will have a similar experience with this book. I cannot use the word “enjoy” with a book like this because the plot points are so shocking and sometimes hard to read, but it was well done and kept me interested throughout.
Worth the read – but proceed knowing that a lot of what you will read is unfair and frustrating . . . and even more difficult because it is based on things that are really happening right now in our world. ...more
Sure, it is loaded down with science and math. And, at times, the science and math can slow down the narrative a bit. BuWoah! This book was excellent!
Sure, it is loaded down with science and math. And, at times, the science and math can slow down the narrative a bit. But there is no need to understand the math and science to enjoy this unconventional sci-fi story. And, in a world flooded with sci-fi literature for the past 75 years or so, it is kind of amazing to find a fresh new take. (Note: I am sure that someone who is more well read in sci-fi is going to read this review and give some examples where this is not actually as creative as my experience was. But, at least for me, it was fresh, new territory!)
If you have enjoyed Weir’s other books, I have no doubt that you will enjoy this adventure. It is another case of someone “Science-ing the s#%t” out of many tight spaces. A perfect blend of humor, suspense, and heart; I laughed, I cried, I screamed out loud! This was a great way to help start of my reading in 2022....more
This was a fun mystery/comedy that occasionally pulled at my heartstrings, made me mad, and made me think. Moriarty did a great job writing interestinThis was a fun mystery/comedy that occasionally pulled at my heartstrings, made me mad, and made me think. Moriarty did a great job writing interesting characters that we enjoyed journeying with . . . even if sometimes that journey involved deep loathing of them!
I liked the structure of the story where we are given hints of the outcome throughout the book. We know from the beginning that there is a major climax without knowing the specifics. And, each time a hint is given, it ties a little bit to the backstory that is being told. Very clever and kept me wanting to know what was next.
Also, this book made me a bit ashamed to be a man – I swear we don’t all suck! ...more
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