Chris's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 30 Apr 2025 05:40:22 -0700 60 Chris's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #3)]]> 38099642
They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman.

The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor's armies are in retreat.

Nona faces the final challenges that must be overcome if she is to become a full sister in the order of her choice. But it seems unlikely that Nona and her friends will have time to earn a nun's habit before war is on their doorstep.

Even a warrior like Nona cannot hope to turn the tide of war.
The shiphearts offer strength that she might use to protect those she loves, but it's a power that corrupts. A final battle is coming in which she will be torn between friends, unable to save them all. A battle in which her own demons will try to unmake her.

A battle in which hearts will be broken, lovers lost, thrones burned.]]> 343 Mark Lawrence 0008152403 Chris 0 4.28 2019 Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #3)
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Chris
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: currently-reading, audio, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2)]]> 35530652 Prince of Thorns.

In Mystic Class Nona Grey begins to learn the secrets of the universe. But so often even the deepest truths just make our choices harder. Before she leaves the Convent of Sweet Mercy Nona must choose her path and take the red of a Martial Sister, the grey of a Sister of Discretion, the blue of a Mystic Sister or the simple black of a Bride of the Ancestor and a life of prayer and service.

All that stands between her and these choices are the pride of a thwarted assassin, the ambition of a would-be empress wielding the Inquisition like a blade, and the vengeance of the empire’s richest lord.

As the world narrows around her, and her enemies attack her through the system she has sworn to, Nona must find her own path despite the competing pull of friendship, revenge, ambition, and loyalty.

And in all this only one thing is certain. There will be blood.]]> 416 Mark Lawrence 0008152349 Chris 4 audio, fantasy 4.33 2018 Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2)
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Chris
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: audio, fantasy
review:
At times suffers from middle book syndrome, but overall pretty good. It doesn't have the benefit of meeting new characters (for the most part) or the growing/training of the main characters (again, for the most part). But overall, it was an enjoyable listen. Some of the powers that the novices have really rival some of the already trained sisters, it seems, which makes me wonder how powerful the novices would be once they have 'graduated.' I kind of like how the very powerful "chosen one" character is a minor side character, but there are a couple of deus ex machina type moments that feel a little cheap plot-wise. Going straight on to the next book, so I have this one fresh in the mind.
]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 59116002 The landmark publishing event of 2015 -- a full-colour illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with breathtaking illustrations by Jim Kay, winner of the Kate Greenaway medal.

For the first time, J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Prepare to be spellbound by Jim Kay's dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters in this full-colour illustrated hardback edition of the nation's favourite children's book -- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Jim Kay has created over 100 stunning illustrations, making this deluxe format a perfect gift as much for a child being introduced to the series, as for the dedicated fan. Brimming with rich detail and humour that perfectly complements J.K. Rowling's timeless classic, Jim Kay's glorious illustrations will captivate fans and new readers alike.

When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous -- or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!]]> 246 J.K. Rowling 0545790352 Chris 0 4.75 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Chris
average rating: 4.75
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: fantasy, hardcover, kids, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Page by Paige: A Graphic Novel]]> 8928004 Everyone sees a quiet redhead who draws things. But when I close my eyes, I'm laughing and screaming and scheming and daydreaming. New city. New friends. New Paige?

When Paige's parents move her family from Virginia to New York City, Paige doesn't know where she fits in anymore. At first, the only thing keeping her company is her notebook, where she pours her worries and observations and experiments with her secret identity: ARTIST. With the confidence the book brings her, she starts to make friends and shake up her family's expectations. But she is ready to become the person she draws in her notebook?

Laura Lee Gulledge's stunning art digs deep into the soul and exposes all the ups, downs, and sideways feelings of being a young adult on the edge of the rest of your life.]]> 192 Laura Lee Gulledge 0810997223 Chris 4 graphic-novel, kids, library 3.92 2011 Page by Paige: A Graphic Novel
author: Laura Lee Gulledge
name: Chris
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: graphic-novel, kids, library
review:
A coming of age story of a girl coming to accept herself as an artist. There's a fair bit of teen angst, but I could actually relate a lot to this. The girl has a level of anxiety about a lot of things and lots of impostor syndrome, which I think most artists can relate. This would be a great book for teens to read and my 13 year old daughter loved it.
]]> Bea Wolf 60316971 A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.

Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.]]> 208 Zach Weinersmith 1250776295 Chris 0 4.36 2023 Bea Wolf
author: Zach Weinersmith
name: Chris
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: graphic-novel, library, currently-reading
review:

]]> Louis Undercover 33988213
Thankfully, Louis has Truffle for company. Truffle loves James Brown lyrics, and when he isn’t singing, he’s asking endless questions. Louis also has his friend Boris, with whom he spots ghost cop cars and spies on the “silent queen,� the love of his life, Billie.

When Louis and Truffle go to their dad’s for two weeks during the summer, their father seems to have stopped drinking. And when Truffle has a close call from a bee sting, their mother turns up and the reunited foursome spend several wonderful days in New York � until they reach the end of the road, again.]]> 160 Fanny Britt 1554988594 Chris 4 graphic-novel, kids 4.14 2012 Louis Undercover
author: Fanny Britt
name: Chris
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: graphic-novel, kids
review:
This is a very sweet, really emotionally hard-hitting, children's book. It's long for a children's book and honestly it's just as good for adults. It covers some pretty tough topics for young'ns like alcoholism, parent separation, and relapse. Not topics you usually find in the children's section of the library. The illustration is beautiful. It's loose, but with some tight line work. It's emotional (one page is almost all blacked out like anger) and impressionistic. Very nice to look at and builds on the story, not just represents it.
]]> The Room 50274 288 Hubert Selby Jr. 0714530387 Chris 3 kindle
In style I'd equate it to more contemporary Chuck Palahniuk than anything else I've read. In the end of the book is a brief biography and it talks about Selby's experimentation with punctuation and structure and general writing style to make the reader feel the experience. In that, it was very successful.

This is the definition of unreliable narrator. It's from the perspective of a lone prisoner generally in a cell (with occasional releases for chow), but the bulk of the book is all in his head. In this, there are very distinct different characters, but all of those are of himself. His imagination centers around these two officers that arrested him and put him in this situation. In his cell, in present time, he's extremely angry with harsh short sentences filled with expletives and not much more thought than 'I\ll getim. I\ll really show em.' In his imagination, he fights back against the cops both in the arresting scene, and in court, and other times. In the arresting scene he's basically a ninja, unstoppable. This scene gets played out in multiple ways. The reader really never knows what the reality was.
In court it starts with him getting picked up by a nationally famous lawyer pro-bono, but later his imagination puts him to the side and becomes the smooth talking, super-intelligent lawyer representing himself. Everyone loves him and how great he is. The cops will pay legally, which goes down multiple paths. The cops wives even love him, which of course he uses to further exact his revenge.
There are also some flashbacks to his childhood. There are times where he writes with virtually no punctuation, especially when as a kid he's scared of getting arrested or caught for something.

There are a couple chapters that are particularly disturbing. He gets the cops under his control where he tortures and "trains" them as dogs. These scenes were particularly hard to read. Another chapter he imagines the cops brutally raping a woman, which comes up in his courtroom fantasy, naturally. Another scene has him graphically having sex with one of the cop's wives (or maybe it was a nun, I don't recall exactly) in the cloister of a church while the congregation is reciting the classic Lord's Prayer. So every other line is a line from the prayer, interspersed with the action.

In the end, he has some sort of sickness overtake him that I suspect is drug withdrawal (which fits with Selby's other work and his own personal life), he fails in court (maybe in reality, it's really hard to tell), and then goes into ultimate nihilism. He talks about his friend, which I'm not entirely sure what that meant. I'd suspect drugs, but it's in his cell, so maybe just the bed.

Ultimately, a VERY hard to read book that I would not recommend to virtually anyone. But I don't regret reading it. It's experimentation in form and style was interesting and like I stated before, Selby definitely succeeded in getting me to feel what's going on. I just feel like I need a shower afterward. ]]> 3.72 1971 The Room
author: Hubert Selby Jr.
name: Chris
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1971
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: kindle
review:
This was a tough one, and as a result I'm not entirely sure how I should rate it. So I'll go down the middle. I have seen the movie Requiem for a Dream a few times, which is based on arguably Selby's most famous/best work, so I knew at least an idea of what I was getting into with this book.

In style I'd equate it to more contemporary Chuck Palahniuk than anything else I've read. In the end of the book is a brief biography and it talks about Selby's experimentation with punctuation and structure and general writing style to make the reader feel the experience. In that, it was very successful.

This is the definition of unreliable narrator. It's from the perspective of a lone prisoner generally in a cell (with occasional releases for chow), but the bulk of the book is all in his head. In this, there are very distinct different characters, but all of those are of himself. His imagination centers around these two officers that arrested him and put him in this situation. In his cell, in present time, he's extremely angry with harsh short sentences filled with expletives and not much more thought than 'I\ll getim. I\ll really show em.' In his imagination, he fights back against the cops both in the arresting scene, and in court, and other times. In the arresting scene he's basically a ninja, unstoppable. This scene gets played out in multiple ways. The reader really never knows what the reality was.
In court it starts with him getting picked up by a nationally famous lawyer pro-bono, but later his imagination puts him to the side and becomes the smooth talking, super-intelligent lawyer representing himself. Everyone loves him and how great he is. The cops will pay legally, which goes down multiple paths. The cops wives even love him, which of course he uses to further exact his revenge.
There are also some flashbacks to his childhood. There are times where he writes with virtually no punctuation, especially when as a kid he's scared of getting arrested or caught for something.

There are a couple chapters that are particularly disturbing. He gets the cops under his control where he tortures and "trains" them as dogs. These scenes were particularly hard to read. Another chapter he imagines the cops brutally raping a woman, which comes up in his courtroom fantasy, naturally. Another scene has him graphically having sex with one of the cop's wives (or maybe it was a nun, I don't recall exactly) in the cloister of a church while the congregation is reciting the classic Lord's Prayer. So every other line is a line from the prayer, interspersed with the action.

In the end, he has some sort of sickness overtake him that I suspect is drug withdrawal (which fits with Selby's other work and his own personal life), he fails in court (maybe in reality, it's really hard to tell), and then goes into ultimate nihilism. He talks about his friend, which I'm not entirely sure what that meant. I'd suspect drugs, but it's in his cell, so maybe just the bed.

Ultimately, a VERY hard to read book that I would not recommend to virtually anyone. But I don't regret reading it. It's experimentation in form and style was interesting and like I stated before, Selby definitely succeeded in getting me to feel what's going on. I just feel like I need a shower afterward.
]]> <![CDATA[Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel: (Authorized Orwell Edition)]]> 48930362 A beautiful graphic adaptation of George Orwell's timeless and timely allegorical novel.

�All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.�

In 1945, George Orwell, called “the conscience of his generation,� created an enduring, devastating story of new tyranny replacing old, and power corrupting even the noblest of causes. Today it is all too clear that Orwell’s masterpiece is still fiercely relevant wherever cults of personality thrive, truths are twisted by those in power, and freedom is under attack. In this fully authorized edition, the artist Odyr translates the world and message of Animal Farm into a gorgeously imagined graphic novel.

Old Major, Napoleon, Squealer, Snowball, Boxer, and all the animals of Animal Farm come to life in this newly envisaged classic. From his individual brushstrokes to the freedom of his page design, Odyr’s adaptation seamlessly moves between satire and fable and will appeal to all ages, just as Orwell intended.]]> 176 Odyr 0358410770 Chris 3 graphic-novel, library 4.30 2018 Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel: (Authorized Orwell Edition)
author: Odyr
name: Chris
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: graphic-novel, library
review:
Not the best graphical interpretation of Animal Farm that I've seen. It hit through the high points of the book a little too fast, so it very much felt abridged. Which is too bad, since the original is not a long book to begin with. The paintings are pretty loosely stylized, sometimes more frenetic than others. Not bad, but could have been better.
]]> <![CDATA[The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation]]> 207003520 160 Manu Larcenet 1419776770 Chris 5 4.33 2024 The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
author: Manu Larcenet
name: Chris
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle, library
review:
The artist did wonderful putting this bleak, desolate book into a black, desolate visual. It hits all the high points of the book but keeps the pacing on point. There were a couple moments that were hard to discern exactly what was being shown, but not often. The selective use of color was also well done.
]]> Children of Madness 213235078 FOR A WORLD GONE CRAZY, ONLY THOSE RAISED AMONG MADNESS CAN HELP

The Imperator of Quaan restlessly awaits the centennial arrival of the Snail-Gods to cure the Gloomtide, a shadow of melancholy blanketing the Titian Empire. But when the Supreme Helices finally make landfall, they do so just out of reach of the distressed monarch, beyond a poisonous grove that separates man from messiah.

Fincher Bugg leads the Sour Flower Gang, the preeminent child harvesters of the Stenches, a town of outcasts condemned to diminished lives toiling away in toxic conditions. As Fincher and his four friends endure external abuse from outsiders, internally they also suffer, watching as their parents slowly succumb to the Maddening. Despite the solace of unbreakable friendship, life is unrelenting.

When a desperate king makes a seemingly magnanimous offer to a hopeless population, the Sour Flower Gang sets out on a harrowing expedition to find God for the very people who cast them aside.

During a journey in which the children encounter the unimaginable—both beautiful and nightmarish—a terrifying question takes shape. Are the Snail-Gods here to once more save mankind, or is the Gloomtide that has enveloped Quaan a precursor to humanity’s deserved end?]]> 686 Jarrett Brandon Early Chris 0 currently-reading 4.61 Children of Madness
author: Jarrett Brandon Early
name: Chris
average rating: 4.61
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Monster Locker (Monster Locker, #1)]]> 200982334
For hundreds of years, something in the basement of Glenfield Middle School has waited for its chance to open a portal into the realm of monsters. Now its time has come, and the school is going to need a hero. Pablo Ortiz . . . isn’t that guy. All he wants to do is lie low and get through middle school in one piece. So when Pablo accidentally opens the portal and summons a vengeful Aztec goddess, he’ll need the butt-kicking skills of his new friends and the wisdom passed down by his abuela to take her on.]]> 256 Jorge Aguirre 1250749743 Chris 4 graphic-novel, kids, library 3.94 2024 Monster Locker (Monster Locker, #1)
author: Jorge Aguirre
name: Chris
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: graphic-novel, kids, library
review:
This is a very fun middle grade book. It's pretty straight forward with the kid hero and fairly dangerous but in a silly way. I would certainly like to read more from the series. It gives a lot of surface level information about Aztec mythology and later some explanation of the Nahautl language used. There is a lot of fascinating stuff that, as is pointed out by a character, just never gets coverage in favor of over-coverage of other cultures.
]]> <![CDATA[Cassi and the House of Memories]]> 213618298 A dazzling journey through memories past gives one girl the chance to save her grandfather–as long as she can find him in time. A graphic novel perfect for fans of Pashmina and Anya's Ghost.

Cassi loves spending time with her grandfather. His games, songs, and stories have always brought her endless joy. This visit with him, though, is different: Grandpa seems to be losing track of things, including everything from the stories they’re sharing to who Cassi herself is. So when he goes missing after wandering off from his own backyard, Cassi knows she has to figure out where he’s gone.

What she discovers is a world filled with memories, none of them her own. As she leaps from one memory to the next, she knows she’s getting closer and closer to finding her grandfather—but only if she can make sure he doesn’t slip away forever.]]> 272 Dean Stuart 0593351134 Chris 5 graphic-novel, library 3.85 Cassi and the House of Memories
author: Dean Stuart
name: Chris
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: graphic-novel, library
review:
This is a sweet short book that I read in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. It follows Cassi, an indeterminately young girl that wonders why her grandpa sometimes doesn't remember her, or what he's doing. It's a lesson on dementia. It's both heart warming and a little sad, but does exceptionally well. The afterword says he had to deal with some of this with his father when he got dementia and he had wondered how it would be for his new daughter to understand it.
]]> <![CDATA[Moon Rising (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #6)]]> 60758256
Peace has come to Pyrrhia... for now. The war between the tribes is finally over, and now the dragonets of the prophecy have a plan for lasting peace: Jade Mountain Academy, a school that will gather dragonets from all the tribes and teach them to live together, perhaps even as friends. Moonwatcher isn't sure how she feels about school, however. Hidden in the rainforest for most of her life, the young NightWing has an awful secret. She can read minds, and even see the future.

Living in a cave with dozens of other dragons is noisy, exhausting―and dangerous. In just a few days, Moon finds herself overwhelmed by her secret powers and bombarded by strange thoughts, including those of a mysterious dragon who might be a terrible enemy. And when someone starts attacking dragons within the academy, Moon has a choice to make: Stay hidden and safe? Or risk everything to save her new friends?

The #1 New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series soars to new heights in the sixth graphic novel adaptation, with art by Mike Holmes.]]> 224 Tui T. Sutherland 1338730908 Chris 4 fantasy, graphic-novel I liked it a fair bit, but I also got frequently confused. Both on a lot of the dragons look so much alike I had difficulty telling some of them apart at different times, but also it seemed like it was too abridged from the novel (which I haven't read) because it seemed to skip scenes that should be there. It almost gave the feeling of passing pages that I should have read but missed. ]]> 4.53 Moon Rising (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #6)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel
review:
Either I forgot how the last one ended, or there is an inexplicable time jump after the events of book 5. The main dragons from the previous books are barely in this. They (some of them) started a school with new diverse groups from the different dragon tribes with expected mixed results. This book primarily focuses on a Nightwing named Moon that has both future visions and mind reading. Danger brews. Some interesting new characters, and the new winglet sets out on an adventure together at the end more or less as buddies, but there's a fair bit going on.
I liked it a fair bit, but I also got frequently confused. Both on a lot of the dragons look so much alike I had difficulty telling some of them apart at different times, but also it seemed like it was too abridged from the novel (which I haven't read) because it seemed to skip scenes that should be there. It almost gave the feeling of passing pages that I should have read but missed.
]]> The Stand 228202 1141 Stephen King 0451169530 Chris 5 4.32 1978 The Stand
author: Stephen King
name: Chris
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1978
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> Dragon Day 228527539 Mission Impossible), Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four, The Shield), Aldis Hodge (Justice League), Greta Lee (Russian Doll, Past Lives), Jimmi Simpson (Dark Matter, Westworld), and a full cast. A riveting listen perfect for fans of World War Z and Sleeping Giants.

Compiled by intrepid journalist Neve Pride, this archive of recordings spans the months after dragons emerged on earth, chronicling the communities that sprang up amid the destruction, the scientists, military leaders, and experts searching for a defense, and those steadfastly seeking the missing. Neve and her young daughter Bex travel among the wreckage speaking to those left behind and surviving, against all odds. Neve records everything for history, and in the hopes of locating a clue as to where the dragons came from and how one might stop them. When the defense strategy hits on a breakthrough at the same time Neve receives a lead regarding her missing son, she finds herself torn between what is personal to her and what is necessary for mankind’s hope.

Full cast of narrators Richard Tatum, Chioke I’Anson, Gail Shalan, Rez Kempton, Judy Gold, Piper Goodeve, Gregory Connors.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> Bob Proehl Chris 5 audio, urban-fantasy 3.75 Dragon Day
author: Bob Proehl
name: Chris
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: audio, urban-fantasy
review:
This was a really good audio drama in the vein of Max Brooks' World War Z. It's made up of interviews and recordings from the survivors of the rise of apocalyptic dragons. A large cast from the Audible studios all do quite well. My only complaint would have been the young girl doesn't sound (not the actress, but the writing) like how a young girl would speak. The music and sound effects added are subtle, but add to the realism of the interviews. It gets wrapped up in a nice epilogue made like a news article from a radio show.
]]> The Great Gatsby 41733839 here and here.

James L.W. West III to include the author’s final revisions and features a note on the composition and text, a personal foreword by Fitzgerald’s granddaughter, Eleanor Lanahan—and a new introduction by two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,� it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald Chris 4 classics, hardcover
I did enjoy reading it. I thought there would be more investigation or reveals of Gatsby's past, but I guess it covered it well enough. And toward the end when Gatsby is murdered, I didn't realized it at first. I put some of that down to the language of the writing and quite possibly reading it at bedtime. I think it's still worthwhile to be recommended reading, but there are probably better books to be required reading.

One other thing that I found interesting. Half of the time it seems characters are all carrying on different conversations. It's like none of them really are listening to each other, because each of themselves is most important in their own minds. This tracks with so many people today, too. ]]> 3.95 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Chris
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1925
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: classics, hardcover
review:
I, of course, read this in high school and I, of course, remember almost nothing about it. This time was more a pleasure to read, since it's not assigned and I don't have to write some paper about the tone or whatever. But now, I am wondering what about this book in particular makes it the de facto high school reading? It is relatively short and fairly straightforward, so it isn't overbearing to the average student, I suppose. The language is a little flowery, but not in a confusing way. It keeps the interest well enough so kids don't get utterly bored by a lot of other 'classic' choices.

I did enjoy reading it. I thought there would be more investigation or reveals of Gatsby's past, but I guess it covered it well enough. And toward the end when Gatsby is murdered, I didn't realized it at first. I put some of that down to the language of the writing and quite possibly reading it at bedtime. I think it's still worthwhile to be recommended reading, but there are probably better books to be required reading.

One other thing that I found interesting. Half of the time it seems characters are all carrying on different conversations. It's like none of them really are listening to each other, because each of themselves is most important in their own minds. This tracks with so many people today, too.
]]> <![CDATA[Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, #1)]]> 36449535
The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. 

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are. 

I'd better start at the beginning....]]> 299 Craig Alanson 1520126247 Chris 4 audio, sci-fi The narrator does a phenomenal job with narration and voices. The characters are very different from each other. ]]> 4.25 2016 Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, #1)
author: Craig Alanson
name: Chris
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
A fun space opera. Light on any sort of detail, just like space opera should be. Heavy on dialog and action, but the characters do get fleshed out as well. I actually preferred this before the all powerful ancient AI became part of the story (roughly half) when things felt like more danger and was a focus solely on the people. Now the AI just does everything instantaneously almost without fault, almost. Sometimes the AI's wise-crackery can be funny, sometimes it can be annoying. The times it does have a fault are done pretty well (humans need spacesuits in space? preposterous) because it just can't imagine being a meatsuit monkey.
The narrator does a phenomenal job with narration and voices. The characters are very different from each other.
]]> <![CDATA[A User's Guide to Neglectful Parenting]]> 16059658 An intimate, offbeat look at the joys of parenting

Award-winning graphic memoirist Guy Delisle (Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City) returns with a light-handed celebration of the relationship between child and parent. Whether he's playing practical jokes on his son or trying to trick his daughter into eating sugary cereal, Delisle's comic timing and wry wit are delightfully showcased in these vignettes.]]> 192 Guy Delisle 1770461175 Chris 4 -------

A cartoonist father recounts funny little stories with his kids. There is no wife featured in the comics, though the boy mentions a mom once. The book as a whole is made up of half a dozen or more stories, ranging from practical jokes from the father (the chainsaw one was one of my favorite), the hypocrisy of parenting, or just fooling your kids in various ways. I think I have encountered nearly all of them in some way or another in my own parenting of my kids, so the stories are even better when you can relate. They are pretty funny. The dialogue is sparse, and generally it's two panels per page (the books are small), so the pages turn very fast. I did find it pretty funny, with a few laugh out loud moments. Definitely recommend to parents.

The artwork is okay, kind of light sketches, like a simple comic strip sans color. It gets the message across okay at least. I have 2 more of these from Christmas, so I look forward to reading through them.]]> 3.52 2013 A User's Guide to Neglectful Parenting
author: Guy Delisle
name: Chris
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: parenting, paperback, humor, foreign, comic
review:
Reread - still pretty good. Chuckled out loud a couple times. Definitely relatable.
-------

A cartoonist father recounts funny little stories with his kids. There is no wife featured in the comics, though the boy mentions a mom once. The book as a whole is made up of half a dozen or more stories, ranging from practical jokes from the father (the chainsaw one was one of my favorite), the hypocrisy of parenting, or just fooling your kids in various ways. I think I have encountered nearly all of them in some way or another in my own parenting of my kids, so the stories are even better when you can relate. They are pretty funny. The dialogue is sparse, and generally it's two panels per page (the books are small), so the pages turn very fast. I did find it pretty funny, with a few laugh out loud moments. Definitely recommend to parents.

The artwork is okay, kind of light sketches, like a simple comic strip sans color. It gets the message across okay at least. I have 2 more of these from Christmas, so I look forward to reading through them.
]]> Revelator 56212587 From the acclaimed author of Spoonbenders comes the gripping tale of a family's mysterious religion, and the daughter who turns her back on their god.

In 1933, nine-year-old Stella is left in the care of her grandmother, Motty, in the backwoods of Tennessee. These remote hills of the Smoky Mountains are home to dangerous secrets, and soon after she arrives, Stella wanders into a dark cavern where she encounters the family's personal god, an entity known as the Ghostdaddy.

Years later, after a tragic incident that caused her to flee, Stella--now a professional bootlegger--returns for Motty's funeral, and to check on the mysterious ten-year-old girl named Sunny that Motty adopted. Sunny appears innocent enough, but she is more powerful than Stella could imagine--and she's a direct link to Stella's buried past and her family's destructive faith.

Haunting and wholly engrossing, summoning mesmerizing voices and giving shape to the dark, Revelator is a southern gothic tale for the ages.
]]> 337 Daryl Gregory 052565738X Chris 3 3.96 2021 Revelator
author: Daryl Gregory
name: Chris
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:
Pretty slow and a little boring. Pretty disappointed since I was expecting something pretty scary based on some reviews. The ending was pretty good, but not hardly worth the slog to get there. The writing was good, though and I liked the jumping between the two times.
]]> Home Is Where the Bodies Are 193993695
While going through their parents' belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.]]> 295 Jeneva Rose Chris 4 4.03 2024 Home Is Where the Bodies Are
author: Jeneva Rose
name: Chris
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:
A mystery that develops at a good pace where three adult children learn what happened with their parents 20ish years ago. It's told from their individual perspective with each chapter and occasionally a chapter from the mothers I perspective from the era of the events. It developed well and there was enough red herrings and small but believable twists. Enjoyable front to back.
]]> <![CDATA[The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (Sunderworld #1)]]> 209752701 The much-anticipated new fantasy series from Ransom Riggs, his first since introducing the #1 global phenomenon Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won’t leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max's Adventures in Sunderworld—and that’s because they are.

Not a good sign.

In the blurry weeks after his mother’s death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash—and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return—at the worst possible time on the worst possible day—Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he’ll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it’s in grave danger.

Certain he’s finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he’s not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold’s disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.

How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you—not even yourself?

Welcome to Sunderworld.]]> 336 Ransom Riggs 0593530934 Chris 4 hardcover
Averagely average 17 year old sees past the veil to the magic boroughs of LA and thinks just maybe he's the chosen one. Too bad he's just so astoundingly average. Until he realizes his dead mom left him one last [magic] puzzle to solve.

Some interesting characters and pretty neat magic. The ending feels like it's just getting started. I suppose it'll be another long series.]]> 3.94 2024 The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (Sunderworld #1)
author: Ransom Riggs
name: Chris
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: hardcover
review:
It definitely reads like Ransom Riggs books, having read most of the Peculiar series. This has a lot less characters, though. And a fair bit less magic, I suppose, even though that's pretty central to the story.

Averagely average 17 year old sees past the veil to the magic boroughs of LA and thinks just maybe he's the chosen one. Too bad he's just so astoundingly average. Until he realizes his dead mom left him one last [magic] puzzle to solve.

Some interesting characters and pretty neat magic. The ending feels like it's just getting started. I suppose it'll be another long series.
]]> The Ratcatcher 227729159
It's been twelve weeks since Dresden Commissioner Paula Beyer was sent to the small town of Freidorf to investigate the disappearance of several teenagers. Now she is sitting opposite a psychologist who is tasked with figuring out whether Paula's statements about the case are true, or whether she needs to be suspended until further notice.

While Paula believes that the young people were kidnapped by someone mimicking the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, her colleagues believe that Paula is indulging in a fantasy and endangering the investigation. If Paula wants to stop the perpetrator, she has to convince the psychologist of her version of the story. But the longer the conversation goes on, the more Paula doubts herself�

Starring Ayesha Antoine, Nicholas Asbury, Rachel Atkins, Lydia Brownell, Henry Calcutt, Patrick Campbell, Gunnar Cauthery, Harry Chalmers-Morris, Saffron Coomber, Clare Corbett, Phoebe Douglas, James Dryden, Tia Dutt, Raj Ghatak, Pete Gold, Corey Graham, Derek Griffiths, Malachi Hall, Leah Marks, Rachael Louise Miller, Niamh Marie Smith, , Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Kyle McReynolds, Shogo Miyakita, Eva O’Hara, Dan Parr, Esme Patey-Ford, Travis Phillips, Nigel Pilkington, Penelope Rawlins, Enzo Squillino Jr, Annie Taylor, Cathy Tyson, Keith Wickham, Danny Horn, Emma Mills, Jon Nicholls, Evelyn Sykes, Bethany Weimers, Matthew Woodyatt and Rufus Wright.


Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> 182 Anthony Khaseria Chris 5 audio, crime A darker police procedural where kids are getting kidnapped and it's tied to the Pied Piper fairy tale. It certainly requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief but it was all tied together nicely with enough twists to keep the mystery going. Enjoyable listen.]]> 3.68 The Ratcatcher
author: Anthony Khaseria
name: Chris
average rating: 3.68
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: audio, crime
review:
I went into this with pretty low expectations and they were satisfyingly exceeded. It reminded me of Jo Nesbø books. This was an audible production with multiple voices, music, and sound effects based on a German novel. And the team did a fantastic job. I've definitely had a mixed result with audible originals and this is one of their better ones.
A darker police procedural where kids are getting kidnapped and it's tied to the Pied Piper fairy tale. It certainly requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief but it was all tied together nicely with enough twists to keep the mystery going. Enjoyable listen.
]]> The Signal 222282908
Two astronomers have detected a strange, pulsing signal from deep space. Within hours, the US government goes into lockdown, restricting airspace and scrubbing scientific data. Was the signal an intercepted communication revealing alarming plans for an enemy’s military strike? Or has humanity at long last found proof of extraterrestrial life?

Caught between two mind-blowing possibilities, Dr. Veronica Chapel leaves her job as a high school science teacher to search for answers with her old friend Malcolm Feldman, a determined journalist, and Ada Park, a brilliant astronomer. Oh, and it also happens to be Dr. Chapel's one chance to redeem her destroyed scientific reputation, no pressure...

As the group digs deeper, they uncover layers of mystery that challenge their grasp of the universe and their place in it. With time running out and the world hanging in the balance, they must navigate a tangled web of corporate secrets, government interference, and ethical dilemmas on a high-stakes journey to uncover a truth that will upend our understanding of the cosmos—and ourselves.]]> Eric Buchman Chris 3 audio 3.18 The Signal
author: Eric Buchman
name: Chris
average rating: 3.18
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: audio
review:
This was a good production of a fairly short story. It clocks in like a longer movie. The actors/vo did a good job. The story itself is fairly mediocre. Kind of like a blockbuster movie, entertaining to fill the time.
]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Chris 4 audio, sci-fi 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary
author: Andy Weir
name: Chris
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
This is the hardest of hard sci-fi. And Andy Weir has a type, for sure. It's basically a rehash of the Martian, but in deep space, on a space station, rather than on a planet. It's still pretty good, and the narrator did a great job on audible. I love the problem and solutions formula, it just gets a little repetitive. It's like Weir is finding problems specifically so he can go math/science-nerd and say a solution. If a problem exists potentially, it's in there. The amnesia aspect was done okay, but it seems a bit of a cop-out for progression. The alien was sufficiently alien through biology and language. Generally a fun read [listen].
]]> Hollow 56212878 From the acclaimed author of the Vorrh Trilogy comes an epic odyssey following a group of mercenaries hired to escort a divine oracle on a long journey amidst a war between the living and the dead.

Sheltering beneath Das Kagel, the cloud-scraping structure rumored to be the Tower of Babel, the sacred Monastery of the Eastern Gate descends into bedlam. Their ancient oracle, Quite Testiyont--whose prophesies helped protect the church--has died, leaving the monks vulnerable to the war raging between the living and the dead. Tasked by the High Church to deliver a new oracle, Barry Follett and his group of hired mercenaries are forced to confront wicked giants and dangerous sirens on their mission, keeping the divine creature alive by feeding it marrow and confessing their darkest sins.

But as Follett and his men carve their way through the treacherous landscape, the world around them spirals deeper into chaos. Dominic, a young monk who has mysteriously lost his voice, makes a pilgrimage to see surreal paintings, believing they reveal the empire's fate; a local woman called Mad Meg hopes to free and vindicate her jailed son and becomes the leader of the most unexpected revolution; and the abbott of the monastery, influential as he is, seeks to gain even more power in this world and the next.

Rich with action and fantastic creatures, Hollow ushers the reader through a world of ruin where holy secrets are unearthed, art mirrors life through a glass darkly, and death looms over everything. It is B. Catling's most accomplished and gripping tale yet.

A VINTAGE ORIGINAL]]> 272 Brian Catling 0593081153 Chris 5 The narrator on audible was great, too. He really brought the characters to life with a myriad of different, well done voices. I am curious how this would read in print in comparison, as a result. ]]> 3.69 2021 Hollow
author: Brian Catling
name: Chris
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: audio, fantasy, horror, violent
review:
Fantastic grimdark semi-fantasy! I say semi-fantasy because there are elements, but it's also grounded in some reality with mention of Bruges and Bosch paintings, as well as the inquisition era church in some aspects. The plot moves along quickly, there is a slew of interesting characters, the action is great, and there is enough mystique to keep one wondering about what's really going on. There are some things that never really get explained well, or at least I wish sequences that could have gone on longer. At the same time, I'm glad things weren't overexplained. I'll have to check out Catling's other books, although they have pretty mixed reviews.
The narrator on audible was great, too. He really brought the characters to life with a myriad of different, well done voices. I am curious how this would read in print in comparison, as a result.
]]> Amorph 226384858 A mind-bending dramatic production based on the short stories of N. K. Jemisin, the 21st century’s most-honored writer of speculative fiction.

A barely employed tech worker has never felt they belonged. Not in society, not even in their own family. Their days are filled with loneliness, a struggle to survive and a desperate search for connection—even if that connection is merely virtual.

Now, a black-market hacker promises to open a new world for them, and it works—in ways no human has ever experienced.

They find a world of wonder, of possibilities and of danger—where their new virtual reality could mean the end of their physical reality. And what they discover could change the fate of humankind—forever.

Amorph is based on N. K. Jemisin’s short stories “The Trojan Girl� and “Valedictorian,� which were adapted for this Audible Original by Chené Lawson.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> Chené Lawson Chris 1 audio, sci-fi This is not audible's best production. Not even close. It's a shame NK Jemisin's name is on this because Chené Lawson did not do it justice.
This reminds me of bad episodes of the 90s cartoon ReBoot, but worse. Guess I should have looked at the under 3 star review average before even starting.]]> 3.04 Amorph
author: Chené Lawson
name: Chris
average rating: 3.04
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
DNF at 25%
This is not audible's best production. Not even close. It's a shame NK Jemisin's name is on this because Chené Lawson did not do it justice.
This reminds me of bad episodes of the 90s cartoon ReBoot, but worse. Guess I should have looked at the under 3 star review average before even starting.
]]> The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle 198791493
A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago—footage linked to an isolated island in the Canadian wilderness—the mystery is one conspiracy he’s determined to investigate. The fact that following the scent gives Tyler an excuse to run away from the “straight� Josh, whom he drunkenly made out with, is just the cherry on the shit sundae.

But Echo Island isn’t what it seems. Its eerily scenic veneer hides a twisted secret buried in its roots as a gay conversion camp, and as Tyler retraces his mother’s footsteps, he discovers a supernatural connection between the residents and the island—one they seem to think Tyler and his mother share.

Even worse, the footage of Tyler’s mom came from someone on the island–a stalker whose obsessive fascination with both Tyler and Josh is about to make Tyler wish he hadn’t gone this one alone. Puppeteered by his stalker, searching for his mother, and debating whether it’s possible to queerbait yourself, Tyler comes to realize that it doesn’t matter so much whether you believe in monsters, if they believe in you.

THE ERSTWHILE TYLER KYLE is an adult horror comedy for fans of GHOST FILES, BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, and TWIN PEAKS.

Content warnings available on Steve Westenra's website (see Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ Profile).]]> 450 Steve Hugh Westenra Chris 1 kindle Great premise and very early initially a fun writing style. But all of that went right out the window to be about a guy moping that he told his best friend that he's in love with him but now the straight friend doesn't talk to him. Mope mope mope.
Visits this mysterious tiny island with no people but it still has a gay bar with hundreds of patrons and gasp a wild drag queen appears, guy feels drugged and then had his first gay sexual experience with said drag queen. The whole thing starts to feel like a nonsensical fever dream.]]> 4.25 The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle
author: Steve Hugh Westenra
name: Chris
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: kindle
review:
DNF at 13%
Great premise and very early initially a fun writing style. But all of that went right out the window to be about a guy moping that he told his best friend that he's in love with him but now the straight friend doesn't talk to him. Mope mope mope.
Visits this mysterious tiny island with no people but it still has a gay bar with hundreds of patrons and gasp a wild drag queen appears, guy feels drugged and then had his first gay sexual experience with said drag queen. The whole thing starts to feel like a nonsensical fever dream.
]]> <![CDATA[Foreign Enemies And Traitors (The Enemies Trilogy, #3)]]> 12013573 417 Matthew Bracken Chris 1 4.40 2011 Foreign Enemies And Traitors (The Enemies Trilogy, #3)
author: Matthew Bracken
name: Chris
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:
DNF at 32%. If a book ever needed an editor, it's this one. I like the premise of a broken no-longer-united states but this got so drawn out for no good reason. It would repeat itself within a couple paragraphs, which was maddening. Just not worth the time.
]]> <![CDATA[MIND MGMT Omnibus Part 2: The Mind Management Comprehensive Report 2 of 3]]> 42058410 From New York Times bestselling and Harvey award-winning graphic novelist Matt Kindt comes a globe-spanning tale of espionage, top-secret government programs, conspiracy, and weaponized amnesia.

Meru's hunt for answers about the dismantled government Mind MGMT program and its rogue agent Henry Lyme lead her to confront super spies, the competing mission of the deadly agent "The Eraser," and discovering some buried memories of her own.

Collects volumes 3 and 4 of the Mind MGMT series--a story that's optioned for film by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner).]]> 376 Matt Kindt 1506704611 Chris 0 4.13 MIND MGMT Omnibus Part 2: The Mind Management Comprehensive Report 2 of 3
author: Matt Kindt
name: Chris
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: espionage, graphic-novel, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Thorn of Emberlain (Gentleman Bastard, #4)]]> 8074907
A new chapter for Locke and Jean and finally the war that has been brewing in the Kingdom of the Marrows flares up and threatens to capture all in its flames.

And all the while Locke must try to deal with the disturbing rumours about his past revealed in The Republic of Thieves. Fighting a war when you don't know the truth of right and wrong is one thing. Fighting a war when you don't know the truth of yourself is quite another. Particularly when you've never been that good with a sword anyway...]]> 512 Scott Lynch 0575079584 Chris 0 to-read 4.32 The Thorn of Emberlain (Gentleman Bastard, #4)
author: Scott Lynch
name: Chris
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3)]]> 2890090
Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body - though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring - and the Bondsmage's mention of a woman from Locke's past: Sabetha. She is the love of his life, his equal in skill and wit, and now, his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha - or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

]]> 650 Scott Lynch 0553804693 Chris 5 fantasy, hardcover
Good twists and turns and shenanigans abound. All of them are fun characters. A lot less death in this one than previous, though there is a little. It's mostly one-upmanship in various ways, which is a lot of fun. ]]> 4.21 2013 The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3)
author: Scott Lynch
name: Chris
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: fantasy, hardcover
review:
I love this series. This one is still just as good as the last. This has the normal dual lines of young and current. In this case, the young they are working on being in a theater production, with many pitfalls that they have to overcome. The current has them working an election con (funny, I was reading this contemporaneous to the election cycle for the most part). The kicker is that the opponents con is lead by none other than Locke's former lover.

Good twists and turns and shenanigans abound. All of them are fun characters. A lot less death in this one than previous, though there is a little. It's mostly one-upmanship in various ways, which is a lot of fun.
]]> <![CDATA[Constituent Service: A Third District Story]]> 219359162 The aliens are here . . . and they want municipal services!

Ashley Perrin is fresh out of college and starting a job as a community liaison for the Third District—the city’s only sector with more alien residents than humans. Ashley’s barely found where the paper clips are kept when she’s beset with constituent complaints–from too much noise at the Annual Lupidian Celebration Parade to a trip-and-fall chicken to a very particular type of alien hornet that threatens the very city itself.

And if that’s not terrifying enough, Ashley is next up at the office karaoke night.

It's Parks and Recreation meets the Federation of Planets in this fast and funny audio exclusive by Hugo Award winner and Audible best seller John Scalzi.]]> 3 John Scalzi Chris 4 audio, humor 3.85 2024 Constituent Service: A Third District Story
author: John Scalzi
name: Chris
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: audio, humor
review:
A humorous book from Scalzi is usually a fun time. This was no different. I wish it delved into more weird complaints from resident aliens and less about the sewer and spider dog things than it did. Pretty short, well narrated audio.
]]> Denali 223959699
When their best friend Josh proposes a daring climb of Alaska’s perilous summit, aspiring writer Finn (Jack Falahee, How to Get Away with Murder) sees it as his ticket to literary success, and local lifer Doug (Jake Lacy, The White Lotus) signs up for the challenge. But as the trio ascends into the deadly "Death Zone," long-buried secrets and rivalries emerge, threatening to tear them apart before the mountain does.

Told through a masterful blend of present-day scenes, excerpts from Finn’s now best-selling memoir, and their pulse-pounding ascent, Denali keeps listeners on edge, slowly revealing the mystery of what really happened on that fateful expedition. As Abby (Amrit Kaur, Sex Lives of College Girls), Josh’s sister, pieces together conflicting accounts years later, she’s forced to confront unsettling questions about the brother she thought she knew—and the man she's chosen to love.

Denali explores the complex bonds of friendship, the seductive power of fame, and the psychological toll of surviving when others do not.]]> Austin Bunn Chris 1 audio Poor acting and poor writing. It would be DNF if it wasn't so abruptly short. There were hints at parts that could have been interesting but it never developed and then it was over. I assumed it was a first episode but it didn't seem to have any indication of that. I almost think the download/playback failed somehow.]]> 2.85 2025 Denali
author: Austin Bunn
name: Chris
average rating: 2.85
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: audio
review:
Audio drama from audible.
Poor acting and poor writing. It would be DNF if it wasn't so abruptly short. There were hints at parts that could have been interesting but it never developed and then it was over. I assumed it was a first episode but it didn't seem to have any indication of that. I almost think the download/playback failed somehow.
]]> <![CDATA[Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger: 3 Full-Color Warriors Books in 1]]> 41571738 272 Erin Hunter 0062857371 Chris 3 graphic-novel, kids The artwork was fair. Nothing amazing, but it was clear and the cats were drawn nicely. ]]> 4.26 2011 Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger: 3 Full-Color Warriors Books in 1
author: Erin Hunter
name: Chris
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: graphic-novel, kids
review:
I read this to my 6 year old who absolutely loved it. I'm not generally big on animals as stand ins for humans, but this kept them more animal rather than anthropomorphic. I liked how they talked about the two-legs and the kittypets that lived with two-legs, in comparison to their [mostly] wild band. There was some fairly interesting characters, though it didn't have enough to really develop any to a great depth.
The artwork was fair. Nothing amazing, but it was clear and the cats were drawn nicely.
]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)]]> 52843028
A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village.

All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that contribute to Agatha Christie's well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery.]]> 174 Agatha Christie 1734452595 Chris 4 audio, mystery As a few other reviews stated, Hastings was more annoying than anything. It was his idiocy to help prop up Poirot more, though I don't think it was necessary. This is the first Poirot book, (and my first Poirot book) so Christie presumably improved on the formula after this. I'd like to give more a try, even though mysteries aren't my typical choice. ]]> 4.06 1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Chris
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1920
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: audio, mystery
review:
This was an audiodrama from audible. Well done with good voice actors, music, sfx, etc. It's naturally an abridged version of the story as a result of removing virtually all narration and just being dialogue, which is a bit of a different experience. Peter Dinklage plays Poirot.
As a few other reviews stated, Hastings was more annoying than anything. It was his idiocy to help prop up Poirot more, though I don't think it was necessary. This is the first Poirot book, (and my first Poirot book) so Christie presumably improved on the formula after this. I'd like to give more a try, even though mysteries aren't my typical choice.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dead Lucky, Vol. 1: The Good Die Young]]> 62713716
Bibiana Lopez-Yang is changing too. The incident in Afghanistan that killed her platoon let her control electricity - and left her haunted by the ghosts of those she lost. With her new powers and some unlikely friends, Bibi builds a robot of her own to fight back against Morrow and save her city. But against an enemy this powerful, it won't be enough to be good. She'll have to be lucky.

MELISSA FLORES and FRENCH CARLOMAGNO (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Magic: Master of Metal) bring you THE DEAD LUCKY, the latest superhero story from the universe of RADIANT BLACK and ROGUE SUN!

The Dead LuckyVolume 1 is a new series in Image Comic's Massive-Verse.

Collects THE DEAD LUCKY #1-6

WHAT IS THE MASSIVE-VERSE?
Kyle Higgins & Marcelo Costa's breakout hit Radiant Black took superhero storytelling to new heights. But Radiant Black isn't the only character inhabiting the MASSIVE-VERSE. There's a whole universe for readers to explore! Characters like Rogue Sun, Inferno Girl Red, The Dead Lucky and more yet to be revealed each of them has a different story to tell, different adversaries to face and they each occupy a very different corner of this shared universe. What are you waiting for? Now's the time to get into the MASSIVE-VERSE!]]> 196 Melissa Flores 1534324666 Chris 2 graphic-novel, kindle The art particularly shined in the colors. Some of the posing and stuff was kind of cheesy and normally I like chunky simplified robots but not in the case of the fighting bots in this one.
I was going to move into v2 when I started because usually that's needed to really get into it but I'm not even going to bother in this case.]]> 3.37 2023 The Dead Lucky, Vol. 1: The Good Die Young
author: Melissa Flores
name: Chris
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle
review:
If the art wasn't as [mostly] good as it was, this would have been a DNF. The writing was nonsensical and choppy. It felt like there was a series before this one that developed things, but this is v1 so I don't think so.
The art particularly shined in the colors. Some of the posing and stuff was kind of cheesy and normally I like chunky simplified robots but not in the case of the fighting bots in this one.
I was going to move into v2 when I started because usually that's needed to really get into it but I'm not even going to bother in this case.
]]> <![CDATA[All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)]]> 32758901 "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied â€droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.â€� Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 144 Martha Wells Chris 4 audio, sci-fi 4.11 2017 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: Chris
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
An introduction, really, of a character, the murderbot. It's short but good. I'll have to check out the next one. The narrator was less than stellar, though, so I think I'll look for it in print.
]]> Bluebeard 214153853 In 1919, Kathryn Wombacher finds a lonely-hearts ad placed by one Walter Andrew:

"Would be pleased to correspond with a refined young lady or widow. Object, matrimony."

Kathryn and Walter fall in love and marry within weeks.

What Kathryn doesn’t know� is that her new husband is really James "Bluebeard" Watson, a notorious West Coast serial killer who catfished and married 22 women, murdering 10..

Based on newly unearthed evidence, Bluebeard is the definitive story of a sociopath who wielded love as a deadly weapon.

And it’s the story of a woman who discovered the unthinkable about her husband�

And dared to fight back.]]> 4 Jim Clemente Chris 4 audio, crime 3.74 Bluebeard
author: Jim Clemente
name: Chris
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: audio, crime
review:
A novelization of LA's first serial killer - before that term existed. A bigamist that had many wives in many cities, while robbing banks, and murdering them on occasion. Told from two perspectives - one of the wives discovering all of this and a police interrogation of the man. I liked the switching between the two. The audio narration was fantastic.
]]> Out Vol. 1 60642065 112 Rob Williams Chris 4 graphic-novel, horror Very nice art. Pretty simple story but well put together.]]> 4.05 Out Vol. 1
author: Rob Williams
name: Chris
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: graphic-novel, horror
review:
A nazi prison camp unearths an ancient Czech vampire king. The Kommandant wants to use it to defeat the allies in the waning hours of the war. One of the American prisoners is a Comanche Code Talker that has a knack for languages in general. He has the ability to speak with the vampire in his native ancient tongue (as well as German to the Nazis). The fellow American (and Brit I think) prisoners out him as a traitor because 1- he's different 2- he speaks German and 3- he's gay but I'm not sure they know that at this point. They did fight with a Lieutenant for that reason. Naturally, the code talker is the hero of the story as he sets free the vampire to kill the nazis but also ends up killing the vampire while the allies escape [out] through a tunnel.
Very nice art. Pretty simple story but well put together.
]]> Rats Saw God 207889 living as simply existing.

But his herbal endeavors—and personal demons—have lead to a severe lack of motivation. Steve's flunking out, but if he writes a one-hundred-page paper, he can graduate.

Steve realizes he must write what he knows. And through telling the story of how he got to where he is, he discovers exactly where he wants to be. . . .]]> 202 Rob Thomas 1416938974 Chris 5 Plus the narrator of the audio did a stupendous job.]]> 3.79 1996 Rats Saw God
author: Rob Thomas
name: Chris
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:
I wondered to myself why this was so good. It's just about some high school kid and his drama. But it's written in such a wonderful way. Good pacing and beautiful prose. And the arch of the character(s) is believable and well laid out. The whole book, scenarios, seems very honest, if that makes sense.
Plus the narrator of the audio did a stupendous job.
]]> <![CDATA[A Scandinavian saga: Pioneering in New Folden Township, Marshall County, Minnesota, 1882-1905]]> 167917061 218 John R Tunheim Chris 0 0.0 A Scandinavian saga: Pioneering in New Folden Township, Marshall County, Minnesota, 1882-1905
author: John R Tunheim
name: Chris
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: historical, non-fiction, currently-reading
review:

]]> Stabbity Bunny Vol. 2 196020489
Collects Stabbity Bunny #7-12 and Stabbity Bunny: Emmet's Story.]]> 196 Richard Rivera Chris 2 graphic-novel, horror, kindle The art is decent. Something about it feels more on the amateurish side, but I can't quite put my finger on what. It did correct the issue I had with Volume 1 where the mother/daughter looked so identical I had difficulty telling them apart. That wasn't the case with this volume, thankfully.]]> 4.00 Stabbity Bunny Vol. 2
author: Richard Rivera
name: Chris
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: graphic-novel, horror, kindle
review:
This was okay but really struggled to tell a coherent story. It seems straightforward at a glance, but there are so many things that are missing or inconsistent that it just falls apart. I'm not sure if the author didn't know where to go at points or trying to throw in twists or just left a lot in his head without coming to paper. Seems like it could have some great potential.
The art is decent. Something about it feels more on the amateurish side, but I can't quite put my finger on what. It did correct the issue I had with Volume 1 where the mother/daughter looked so identical I had difficulty telling them apart. That wasn't the case with this volume, thankfully.
]]> <![CDATA[The Last Murder at the End of the World]]> 213570810
Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.]]> 432 Stuart Turton 1464221847 Chris 0 to-read 3.58 2024 The Last Murder at the End of the World
author: Stuart Turton
name: Chris
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Treasure Island 295 Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers. Written by a superb prose stylist, a master of both action and atmosphere, the story centers upon the conflict between good and evil - but in this case a particularly engaging form of evil. It is the villainy of that most ambiguous rogue Long John Silver that sets the tempo of this tale of treachery, greed, and daring. Designed to forever kindle a dream of high romance and distant horizons, Treasure Island is, in the words of G. K. Chesterton, 'the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas.' G. S. Fraser terms it 'an utterly original book' and goes on to write: 'There will always be a place for stories like Treasure Island that can keep boys and old men happy.']]> 352 Robert Louis Stevenson 0753453800 Chris 4 audio, adventure As a bit of an aside, I was a little surprised just how much The Goonies was inspired directly from this. ]]> 3.84 1882 Treasure Island
author: Robert Louis Stevenson
name: Chris
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1882
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: audio, adventure
review:
Listened to a dramatization from Audible. It was really well done! I was only vaguely familiar with this book being the origin of virtually every pirate cliche, but it didn't read like a cliche (granted, I don't know how much liberty and abridging the dramatization takes). That's always a danger with the origins of those after being exposed to the cliches in other properties.
As a bit of an aside, I was a little surprised just how much The Goonies was inspired directly from this.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dead Children's Playground]]> 200546592
Kylie Macklin is eager to live a normal life. Freshly moved from Florida to Alabama and finally in remission from cancer, the optimistic nine-year-old is used to dodging her overprotective mom’s warnings. So when a new playmate invites her to hang out, the happy girl thinks nothing of the playground being located in a graveyard for young victims of the Spanish Flu� and a local serial killer.

Kayla Macklin hates starting over. Forced to relocate after her little sister’s recovery, the sullen nineteen-year-old despises her new home more when she sees a terrifying vision in the nearby crypt. And as kids around town start to fall gravely ill, she begins to suspect there is something sinister at play.

Tormented by a frightening specter’s ever-closer appearances, Kylie turns to her older sibling for help. But as Kayla digs into the history of the haunted ground, the twisted truths she discovers hint at a bloodthirst that can never be sated.

Can they face down the malevolent force without tripping into their own graves?]]> 254 James Kaine Chris 4 horror, kindle
The characters were believable and realistic, if not super deep. I felt a little bad for the younger cancer survivor girl of about 11. And then F that epilog. Don't read it. Even the author apologized for it but felt it was the true ending. So it goes.

Who was really the bad guy in this was sometimes difficult to discern but it shouldn't have been. It has a little switcheroo but it made sense how it was presented. Generally a good story. I'd read more from this author.]]> 4.35 2024 The Dead Children's Playground
author: James Kaine
name: Chris
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: horror, kindle
review:
A relatively straightforward ghost/demon/haunting story that is overcome via young adult and kids.

The characters were believable and realistic, if not super deep. I felt a little bad for the younger cancer survivor girl of about 11. And then F that epilog. Don't read it. Even the author apologized for it but felt it was the true ending. So it goes.

Who was really the bad guy in this was sometimes difficult to discern but it shouldn't have been. It has a little switcheroo but it made sense how it was presented. Generally a good story. I'd read more from this author.
]]> 1984 61439040
Alternate cover edition can be found here.]]> 368 George Orwell 0452284236 Chris 5 audio 4.21 1949 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Chris
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: audio
review:
The umpteenth time I've read/listened to this book and it's scary how more prescient it is every year. This was an incredibly well done audio dramatization by Audible starring Andrew Garfield. Very highly recommended.
]]> Stabbity Bunny 35697139 Richard Rivera Chris 2 graphic-novel, kindle, horror 3.15 2018 Stabbity Bunny
author: Richard Rivera
name: Chris
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle, horror
review:
Decent art paired to a less than decent story. It really needed a real editor - one that can tell the author when to add bits and what to cut, and generally make the story flow better. It had weird time jumps, off-panel happenings that the author knows exists but the read doesn't, inexplicable characters, etc. It has promise, but really needs a version 2 rehash.
]]> Self Help 61184540
Jack Diller is just one more struggling actor on the road to nowhere. He’s got an agent who barely remembers his name, his ex-girlfriend has hooked up with a Silicon Valley dude, and the milk in his fridge is so far past its sell-by date it’s historic. The only way Jack can scrape together a bare existence is by delivering food to exactly the types of successful people he wishes he could be.

Then, one day, a very strange audiobook shows up on his phone. The Killer Instinct seems to be your basic self-help guide, narrated by a washed-up action star named Hector Bruno, and brimming with cheesy advice for how to get your life together.

With so little to lose, Jack starts listening...and listening some more. He starts talking to Hector like he’s his best friend.

And then...Hector starts talking back.]]> Ben H. Winters Chris 4 3.52 2022 Self Help
author: Ben H. Winters
name: Chris
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
review:
Self help into self destruction can still feel like progress. This read like a John Scalzi book, but that might have more to do with the Wil Wheaton narration. Entertaining, funny, quick moving.
]]> <![CDATA[Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4)]]> 35238109 256 Dav Pilkey 1338230379 Chris 4 4.46 2017 Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4)
author: Dav Pilkey
name: Chris
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:
Another exceptional dog man adventure
]]> <![CDATA[The Scarlet Shedder (Dog Man #12)]]> 196037552 Our canine superhero returns in DOG MAN: THE SCARLET SHEDDER, the suspenseful and hilarious twelfth graphic novel in the #1 worldwide bestselling series by award-winning author and illustrator Dav Pilkey!

P.U.! Dog Man got sprayed by a skunk! After being dunked in tomato juice, the stink is gone but the scarlet red color remains. Now exiled, this spunky superhero must struggle to save the citizens who shunned him! Will the ends justify the means for Petey, who's reluctantly pulled back into a life of crime in order to help Dog Man? And who will step forward when an all-new, never-before-seen villain unleashes an army of A.I. robots?]]> 224 Dav Pilkey 133889644X Chris 5 humor, kids 4.60 2024 The Scarlet Shedder (Dog Man #12)
author: Dav Pilkey
name: Chris
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: humor, kids
review:
Love Dog Man books. This one tackles AI and people being stuck to their phones, among other things. Always a fun time, though.
]]> <![CDATA[The Boys, Volume 3: Good For The Soul]]> 4184715 192 Garth Ennis 1933305924 Chris 4 4.03 2008 The Boys, Volume 3: Good For The Soul
author: Garth Ennis
name: Chris
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: graphic-novel, horror, kindle, super-hero, violent
review:
While this one slows down in the gross and the violent, it picked up in the story. A lot more background on the whys and history of the Seven and the megacorp that owns them. The Boys meet the Seven in a one sided increasingly infuriating (for Homelander) conversation. A lot more happens with Hughie and Star/Annie.
]]> The Five Points Ripper 219351004
On the lost colony planet of Croatoan, the job of the police force is to keep the peace, even if it means turning a blind eye to all varieties of crimes. DCI Lutero Cade knows how to play the game � but when it comes to murder, he is more than willing to rock the boat.

Now, with a serial killer on the loose, Cade knows he’s about to do a whole lot of boat rocking.

But what Cade finds puts him square in the sights of an artificial intelligence that may have its own agenda � and threatens the already shaky foundations of the Five Points, all the way back to the colony’s mysterious origins.]]> 3 Larry Correia Chris 5 audio, sci-fi ]]> 3.96 The Five Points Ripper
author: Larry Correia
name: Chris
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
While I think the second book lagged a little, this one was again really good. I hope the series continues, though I suppose it'll be a year until the next one comes. The very brief introduction of [spoilers removed]
]]> Ghosts of Zenith 77687719
On a planet where life is cheap, in a city built on corruption, very few things are considered holy. The Landing Site is one of them. The remains of the century-old habitat pod—which delivered the colonists to the only barely habitable place on the cruel world of Croatoan—has become a monument to the hardscrabble people who somehow survived the unsurvivable.

So when blood is shed on that sacred ground, it’s seen as an attack against the entire colony. With a fanatical terrorist group holding hostages inside the monument, DCI Lutero Cade and the Zenith PD have to end the crisis and put the bad guys down.

Only there’s far more to this case than meets the eye. The lander may have been carrying a hidden cargo. And a shadowy figure with his own drone army will do anything to make sure the mission’s secrets stay buried—no matter how many nosy detectives he has to kill to do it.]]> Larry Correia Chris 4 3.79 Ghosts of Zenith
author: Larry Correia
name: Chris
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:
Good quick listen. Expands the characters, good action.
]]> Lost Planet Homicide 59428733
When the biggest colony ship in human history was sent to settle a paradise world, an accident hurtled it deep into uncharted space. A thousand light years from Earth, with no way home and no way to call for help, the colonists� only hope for survival was the one barely habitable planet in range, a nightmare world they named Croatoan. Landing on the only five mountain peaks tall enough to rise above the lethal acid clouds, the settlers carved a civilization from the rock.

A hundred years later, Five Points has grown into a city of corruption and violence. With powerful corporations ruling the surface domes and criminal syndicates running the caverns below, murder is just the cost of doing business.

So when a Special Magistrate is found dissolving in a protein vat, it barely registers - until DCI Lutero Cade, the last honest cop in Five Points, catches the case. What he finds could threaten the colony’s very existence.

Or, at the very least, Cade himself.]]> Larry Correia Chris 5 audio, crime
------
Second read
The nose exhalation is still annoying. Still good story. Now there are a couple sequels I can check out (why I listened to this one again). ]]> 3.78 2021 Lost Planet Homicide
author: Larry Correia
name: Chris
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: audio, crime
review:
A far distant planet noir detective book. Really well done. Great gritty voiced narrator, though at some point I noticed how he breathed out of his nose at the end of nearly every sentence, and then I couldn't NOT hear that. But otherwise he did really well. I hope there is more to this series, because I think it was a good character, with good side characters in an interesting world.

------
Second read
The nose exhalation is still annoying. Still good story. Now there are a couple sequels I can check out (why I listened to this one again).
]]> Hell Divers (Hell Divers, #1) 28464896
When one of the remaining airships is damaged in an electrical storm, a Hell Diver team is deployed to a hostile zone called Hades. But there’s something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past—something that threatens the fragile future of humanity.]]> Nicholas Sansbury Smith 1504713958 Chris 4 audio, sci-fi 3.83 2016 Hell Divers (Hell Divers, #1)
author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
name: Chris
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: audio, sci-fi
review:
Fun action packed sci-fi book. I think too many reviewers take it too seriously, questioning the science behind this or that. Just let it go and it can be a great book.
]]> <![CDATA[Minority Report and Other Stories]]> 534004 Viewed by many as the greatest science fiction writer on any planet, Philip K. Dick has written some of the most intriguing, original and thought-provoking fiction of our time. This collection includes stories that will make you laugh, cringe...and stop and think.

The Minority Report: a special unit that employs those with the power of precognition to prevent crimes proves itself less than reliable...
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale: an everyguy's yearning for more exciting "memories" places him in a danger he never could have imagined (basis of the feature film Total Recall)...
Paycheck: a mechanic who has no memory of the previous two years of his life finds that a bag of seemingly worthless and unrelated objects can actually unlock the secret of his recent past � and insure that he has a future...
Second Variety: the UN's technological advances to win a global war veer out of control, threatening to destroy all of humankind (basis of the movie Screamers)...
The Eyes Have It: a whimsical, laugh-out-loud play on the words of the title.

]]> 6 Philip K. Dick 0060095261 Chris 4
Minority Report was good, but a little spartan in it's descriptive prose. I would say across all of the stories, the ideas were really great, but the stories could use a little more fleshing out with character and setting. I liked the movie version of this story as well and it did follow the story somewhat closely, but not entirely.

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale was again, a little sparse in settings, but really great in it's ideas. It was the background to the movie Total Recall (another movie I really liked). Sometimes the story got a little confusing with the multiple memory branches and such.

Paycheck was decent. Not sure if there was a movie based on it, but it seemed very familiar. Everything clicking into place and it had a great ending.

Second Variety was probably my favorite story in the book. It had good setting, fairly interesting characters, and was definitely a thriller. I quickly recognized it as the story from which the movie Screamers comes from, which I really liked. So the ending wasn't entirely surprising but still was very good.

I'd probably read this again in paper form so I could concentrate on it a little better. Audio concentration comes and goes for me.]]> 3.94 1987 Minority Report and Other Stories
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Chris
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2015/06/03
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: adventure, audio, crime, dystopia, horror, library, military, mystery, sci-fi, short-story-collection, thriller, violent
review:
I have always wanted to, but never have (til now) read some of Philip K Dick's stories. I'm glad I finally did. I enjoyed most of the stories in this small anthology, though the last one The Eyes Have It (which was VERY short) I didn't really get into.

Minority Report was good, but a little spartan in it's descriptive prose. I would say across all of the stories, the ideas were really great, but the stories could use a little more fleshing out with character and setting. I liked the movie version of this story as well and it did follow the story somewhat closely, but not entirely.

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale was again, a little sparse in settings, but really great in it's ideas. It was the background to the movie Total Recall (another movie I really liked). Sometimes the story got a little confusing with the multiple memory branches and such.

Paycheck was decent. Not sure if there was a movie based on it, but it seemed very familiar. Everything clicking into place and it had a great ending.

Second Variety was probably my favorite story in the book. It had good setting, fairly interesting characters, and was definitely a thriller. I quickly recognized it as the story from which the movie Screamers comes from, which I really liked. So the ending wasn't entirely surprising but still was very good.

I'd probably read this again in paper form so I could concentrate on it a little better. Audio concentration comes and goes for me.
]]> Animal (Animal, #1) 13547133
"One bullet changed everything."

Three years after narrowly escaping a one-way trip to the gas chamber, the fugitive known only as Animal finds himself drawn back to the scene of the crime, Harlem, NY.

Throughout his entire time in exile the only thing that kept Animal going was the thought that he would one day be reunited with his soulmate, Gucci, but one bullet changed everything. When his enemies tried to murder Gucci, they crossed the line—so he vows to cross them all.

While Gucci teeters between life and death, Animal sets out on a bloody mission fueled by love and orchestrated by bullets—there would be no more innocents. Alliances are formed and secrets uncovered while Animal wages his personal war on the streets of Harlem with the end result revealing one great truth—he is only a small piece in a much greater puzzle.]]> 416 K'wan 1936399253 Chris 0 to-read 4.53 2012 Animal (Animal, #1)
author: K'wan
name: Chris
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Boys, Volume 2: Get Some 2891819 192 Garth Ennis 1933305681 Chris 3 3.88 2008 The Boys, Volume 2: Get Some
author: Garth Ennis
name: Chris
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
I really think these are overrated, personally. Maybe they just aren't clicking. Most characters are relatively meaningless and expendable. Even most of the Boys, really. Of course there is gross for grossness sake.
]]> <![CDATA[Impact Winter Season 3 (Impact Winter #3)]]> 216655823
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Darcy, who once seemed to be our only hope for surviving the vampire apocalypse, has gone to the dark side—she’s now the reigning vampire queen. Meanwhile, her sister Hope must lead the charge to save humanity—on a path that’s taking her straight to Darcy.

Will an emboldened Hope destroy her own sister to save the world? Would a godlike Darcy ever allow that to happen? They say hope is a dangerous thing, and they just might be right.

Please note: This content is for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and themes. Discretion is advised.]]> 8 Travis Beacham Chris 3 audio, horror 4.13 2024 Impact Winter Season 3 (Impact Winter #3)
author: Travis Beacham
name: Chris
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: audio, horror
review:
This one just wasn't as... Impactful. I think it got into the weeds a bit much for attempted political intrigue in the vampire court. It would help a lot if 1. There was actual narrative to keep track of characters and 2. The voices were further differentiated to keep track of characters. Also, sudden time shifts in flashbacks were hard to distinguish in this format.
]]> Grimm's Fairy Stories 17261414
Contains stories such as "The Goose Girl", "Hansel and Grethel", "Cinderella", "The Golden Goose", "The Frog Prince" and many more.]]> 142 Jacob Grimm Chris 4
The Goose Girl - girl talks to severed hanging horse head and convinces the king she's a princess."

The brother and Sister - wicked stepmother, boy turns into a fawn, is hunted but King falls in love with sister for some reason, stepmother replaces new queen with her own daughter, somehow king sees the real queen's ghost, maybe? and she is restored. It was kind of a confusing mess, to be honest. Not a very good one.

Dummling and the three feathers - silly story where a toad helps a seemingly stupid son win the crown because the other sons are lazy

Little Snow White - about as expected. Decent story, typical fairy tale progression

Catherine and Frederick - this was actually had all of us (me and kids) laughing quite a lot at Catherine's idiocy. Dropped a cheese down the mountain, so why not send another cheese to bring back the first? and then a third, and a fourth and fifth and sixth. Just all kinds of silliness.

Golden Goose - this one didn't make a whole lot of sense where people get stuck to the goose and it resulted in a princess laughing, thus Dummerling got a bride

Bearskin - This one was decent, about perseverance"

Cinderella - The classic. I didn't remember there being a bird involved that provided the dress, and I thought the one sister actually cut off her heel, not squeezed it in til it bled, but it's an alright story as far as fairy tales go.

Faithful John - Story of sacrifice. Gets pretty grim at the end but ends happily enough.

Water of life - classic rule of threes and be true type story. Nothing too spectacular

Briar rose - short, everyone is paused, then wake up. Really not much to it

Six swans - an odd one, but decent

Rapunzel - amazing magic tears cure blind lovers pierced eyes

Mother Holle - work=good, lazy=pitch covered life"

Frog prince - princess threw him against the wall so hard he turned into a man. Ending made no sense

Tom thumb - repeat story? Quite the wild adventure. The father was happy for his son's return

Snow White and Rose Red - This must be a different Snow White than the other Snow White, otherwise how did she end up with 7 dwarves when the one in this is a horrible cretin?

Three Little Men - More dwarves, that grant wishes. I can see how on the surface wishing a gold coin to fall out of one's mouth with every word would be nice, but man how annoying it would be. And the death of the evil sister, oof.

Rumpelstiltskin - I don't think this was much different than I've heard before. The king is horrible - wishing death on the girl if she can't spin the gold.

One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes - I had to laugh when the one eye of three didn't fall asleep just because she sang to two instead of three. This one was odd (amongst a lot of odd stories)]]> 4.07 1812 Grimm's Fairy Stories
author: Jacob Grimm
name: Chris
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1812
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: classics, fantasy, kids, kindle
review:
My collected notes, hopefully I didn't miss any of the stories -

The Goose Girl - girl talks to severed hanging horse head and convinces the king she's a princess."

The brother and Sister - wicked stepmother, boy turns into a fawn, is hunted but King falls in love with sister for some reason, stepmother replaces new queen with her own daughter, somehow king sees the real queen's ghost, maybe? and she is restored. It was kind of a confusing mess, to be honest. Not a very good one.

Dummling and the three feathers - silly story where a toad helps a seemingly stupid son win the crown because the other sons are lazy

Little Snow White - about as expected. Decent story, typical fairy tale progression

Catherine and Frederick - this was actually had all of us (me and kids) laughing quite a lot at Catherine's idiocy. Dropped a cheese down the mountain, so why not send another cheese to bring back the first? and then a third, and a fourth and fifth and sixth. Just all kinds of silliness.

Golden Goose - this one didn't make a whole lot of sense where people get stuck to the goose and it resulted in a princess laughing, thus Dummerling got a bride

Bearskin - This one was decent, about perseverance"

Cinderella - The classic. I didn't remember there being a bird involved that provided the dress, and I thought the one sister actually cut off her heel, not squeezed it in til it bled, but it's an alright story as far as fairy tales go.

Faithful John - Story of sacrifice. Gets pretty grim at the end but ends happily enough.

Water of life - classic rule of threes and be true type story. Nothing too spectacular

Briar rose - short, everyone is paused, then wake up. Really not much to it

Six swans - an odd one, but decent

Rapunzel - amazing magic tears cure blind lovers pierced eyes

Mother Holle - work=good, lazy=pitch covered life"

Frog prince - princess threw him against the wall so hard he turned into a man. Ending made no sense

Tom thumb - repeat story? Quite the wild adventure. The father was happy for his son's return

Snow White and Rose Red - This must be a different Snow White than the other Snow White, otherwise how did she end up with 7 dwarves when the one in this is a horrible cretin?

Three Little Men - More dwarves, that grant wishes. I can see how on the surface wishing a gold coin to fall out of one's mouth with every word would be nice, but man how annoying it would be. And the death of the evil sister, oof.

Rumpelstiltskin - I don't think this was much different than I've heard before. The king is horrible - wishing death on the girl if she can't spin the gold.

One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes - I had to laugh when the one eye of three didn't fall asleep just because she sang to two instead of three. This one was odd (amongst a lot of odd stories)
]]> <![CDATA[Impact Winter Season 2 (Impact Winter #2)]]> 188963408
Six months have passed since the Vampire Queen fell silent, and the world balances on a knife’s edge. Rejoin the courageous Dunraven sisters, Darcy and Hope, as they navigate the vampire apocalypse in a sunless, endless winter that grows deadlier with each passing day. Brace yourself for a frigid realm of sacred daggers, mighty swords, secret seaside caves, unthinkable human blood farms, and a superpowered vampire villain on the hunt. Will Darcy emerge from hiding to save her sister? Will Hope venture from the castle refuge and find Darcy first? When all paths converge, everyone in Hope and Darcy’s orbit is in mortal danger, including the sisters themselves.

Dare to listen in the dark again as this thrilling saga expands to new lands, new loves, new weapons, and new warriors. Presented in Dolby Atmos spatial audio, the second season of Impact Winter is designed to haunt you like never before. Hear your heart stop.

Please note: This content is for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and themes. Discretion is advised.

©2023 Shoe Leather Digital, Inc (P)2023 Audible Originals LLC]]> 6 Travis Beacham Chris 4 audio, horror ]]> 3.98 2023 Impact Winter Season 2 (Impact Winter #2)
author: Travis Beacham
name: Chris
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves: audio, horror
review:
Entertaining. It's been a while since I listened to the first one, but it did have a recap at the beginning. The audio quality is fantastic with the cast and music and sound effects....except, the kissing, eating, sucking, drinking. Those were awful.

]]> The Casual Vacancy 13497818 A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN�

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford appears to be an English idyll—with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey—but behind its charming façade lies a town at war. The rich clash with the poor, teenagers battle their parents, wives contend with their husbands, and teachers struggle with their pupils. Pagford is far from what it seems.

The empty seat Barry leaves on the town council becomes the catalyst for the fiercest conflict the town has ever seen. The election to fill his seat is fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations. Who will triumph in this battle of wills?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking, and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.]]> 503 J.K. Rowling 0316228532 Chris 4 audio A lot of it reminded me of the movie Hot Fuzz, dealing with small town council. No shady cults though. ]]> 3.28 2012 The Casual Vacancy
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Chris
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves: audio
review:
This starts out pretty slow with a large, everyone is important in their own way, cast to keep track of. But this ends in one of my favorite sort of stories, where all these seemingly disparate events all come together in a big conclusion. The characters were interesting, some deeper than others. For a long while, I wondered just how the kids got so much page-time, but again, it all made sense later on.
A lot of it reminded me of the movie Hot Fuzz, dealing with small town council. No shady cults though.
]]> <![CDATA[Where the Waters Turn Black (Yarnsworld, #2)]]> 32604529
What lurks beneath the waves?

The Crescent Atoll is a remote string of tropical islands, connected by long canoe journeys and a love of stories.

When Kaimana, a young ocarina player, discovers the lair of a taniwha � a legendary monster � she finds herself inspired. The song she is composing about their encounter will be her masterpiece, but her disturbance of the beast attracts the ruining gaze of the god of war. She must convince the taniwha to trust her if they are both to survive.

Where the Waters Turn Black is a standalone novel from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series. Inspired by the myths and legends of South Pacific island cultures, this book is perfect for those seeking fantasy stories with a hint of the unfamiliar.]]> 218 Benedict Patrick Chris 3 4.18 2016 Where the Waters Turn Black (Yarnsworld, #2)
author: Benedict Patrick
name: Chris
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves:
review:
Heavily inspired by Hawaiin/Maori/Pacific islander culture and legends. Not a bad story but I came to realize I just wasn't excited to continue reading. I still like the format having the folktale interludes. The afterwords from the author says some are not fiction from him. The ending was pretty decent. I'd still read the next from the series but I preferred the first book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Brightest Night (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #5)]]> 57468714 The graphic novel adaptations of the #1 New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series continue to set the world on fire!

One will have the power of wings of fire . . .



Sunny has always taken the Dragonet Prophecy very seriously. If Pyrrhia’s dragons need her, Clay, Tsunami, Glory, and Starflight to end the war, she’s ready to try. She even has some good ideas how to do it, if anyone would listen to her.



But shattering news from Morrowseer has shaken Sunny’s faith in their destiny. Is it possible for anyone to end this terrible war and choose a new SandWing queen? What if everything they’ve been through was for nothing?



Buried secrets, deadly surprises, and an unexpected side to scavengers are all waiting for her in the shifting sands of the desert, where Sunny must decide once and for all: Is her destiny already written?



Or can five dragonets change their fate and save the world . . . the way they choose?]]> 224 Tui T. Sutherland 1338730851 Chris 4 4.53 2021 The Brightest Night (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #5)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves:
review:
An almost conclusion. This follows Sunny and mostly finished up the sandwing line/prophecy. It opens up slightly for following lines, which I believe there are 14 or 15 novels that are being graphically reproduced. The ending of this got pretty good.
]]> <![CDATA[The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game]]> 1214485
Collects The Boys #1-6]]> 152 Garth Ennis 9133305463 Chris 3 The story gets started a little, but there isn't a whole lot going on, besides the occasional filth to show how bad supes are. And filth it is indeed. The artwork was a pretty big letdown, to be honest. Especially the Simon Pegg looking character. But even Billy Butcher is not truly consistent. It's just kind of sloppy and surprisingly amateurish. ]]> 3.92 2007 The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game
author: Garth Ennis
name: Chris
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: graphic-novel, urban-fantasy, violent
review:
Well it's definitely a Garth Ennis book, innit?
The story gets started a little, but there isn't a whole lot going on, besides the occasional filth to show how bad supes are. And filth it is indeed. The artwork was a pretty big letdown, to be honest. Especially the Simon Pegg looking character. But even Billy Butcher is not truly consistent. It's just kind of sloppy and surprisingly amateurish.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Secret (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel #4)]]> 52664734 The #1 New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series soars to new heights in the fourth graphic novel adaptation!
In the shadows, trouble is brewing...

The mysterious NightWings keep everything hidden, from their home and their queen to their allegiance in the war. Now they've kidnapped their own dragonet of destiny, and Starflight is finally meeting the rest of his tribe -- whether he wants to or not.

The NightWings have also kidnapped several innocent RainWings, now trapped in the dark, barren, miserable place that is the NightWing kingdom. Starflight wants to help the RainWings, but he's busy saving his own scales and trying to find a way back to his friends. The fate of two kingdoms rests in his talons, and with no one to save him, Starflight will have to find a way to be brave...before it's too late.]]> 224 Tui T. Sutherland 1338344218 Chris 3 graphic-novel, fantasy, kids 4.39 2020 The Dark Secret (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel #4)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: graphic-novel, fantasy, kids
review:
This follows the Nightwing side of the story. A little more progresses on how the prophecy works, where it came from, and some of the other 'stand-in dragonets of prophecy.' Then a deal needs to be made to save many of the Nightwings. Not all agree.
]]> Ripe 122996180 2023 San Francisco Book Festival WINNER - Science Fiction

"Prepare to be swept away with this riveting, character-driven sci-fi thriller. This exceptional and one-of-a-kind, sci-fi journey is a must-read for anyone seeking a thrilling and meaningful story, as it is truly–like many reviewers have said–a 'page-turner.'" (Amazon Reviewer)

Everyone remembers exactly where they were, the day the ships came.

What no one knew back then, though, was that there were people who were already expecting them.

Scottish psychologist Elspeth McGann thinks her patient Lester Rains-a suave, enigmatic man who claims to be have been alive for 2,000 years and to be part of a team of extraterrestrial 'farmers' waiting on Earth for an alien harvest-is a delusional schizophrenic. But when vast ships suddenly appear over Moscow and vacuum up 50,000 people in a matter of hours, she realizes she must track down the elusive Rains. In her search, she stumbles upon a group who are already trying to track down the farmers. This band of renegades is led by Cassius C. Trenton, a former NSA analyst who has been on the run since he broke the code on a mystery transmission beamed into space from Earth years ago, and which bore a single, chilling Ripe.

With the aliens set to return, and some world leaders complicit in their plans, Elspeth and Trenton must seek out Rains and find a way of escaping the impending apocalypse, a hunt that takes them from Edinburgh to the White House, only to discover the harvest is just the beginning.]]> 317 James Hider Chris 0 to-read 4.10 Ripe
author: James Hider
name: Chris
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sirens of the City 202398989 208 Joanne Starer 1608862178 Chris 3 3.49 2024 Sirens of the City
author: Joanne Starer
name: Chris
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle, urban-fantasy
review:
Some pretty nice art. I liked the different colors used selectively. They're were times it got a bit busy, though. Which is kind of fitting to the story. It seemed busy for what it was accomplishing. Like it was meant to be a longer arc but then had to fit it all into a few issues.
]]> <![CDATA[The Last Murder at the End of the World]]> 216967150
Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within one hundred and seven hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it...]]> 354 Stuart Turton 1728254655 Chris 0 to-read 3.80 2024 The Last Murder at the End of the World
author: Stuart Turton
name: Chris
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Sword, Vol. 4: Air 7173140 168 Joshua Luna 1607061686 Chris 3 4.08 2010 The Sword, Vol. 4: Air
author: Joshua Luna
name: Chris
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves:
review:
A little surprising conclusion in multiple ways. Decent enough, but nothing great.
]]> Switchback (Patrick Flint #1) 48815272 All Patrick Flint wants is a peaceful getaway in the Wyoming mountains for his rare days off. He’s grown weary of the bicentennial celebrations, the angry families of patients, the rash of campers coming down from the mountains high on speed, and the midnight call-outs to cover for the town veterinarian. When his wife Susanne balks at the trip just as they’re walking out the door—leaving him to go it alone with his lovestruck teenage daughter Trish and eager-but-adolescent son Perry—Patrick is wounded but determined, despite the news of a murderer escaping custody on the other side of the mountains.

After two days of rain-soaked horseback riding to hunt and fish, Patrick’s gotten nothing but weird encounters, wet socks, and a whiny daughter. So, on the third day, when Trish begs to stay behind at their campsite to read, Patrick is secretly relieved.

Meanwhile back in town, Susanne’s had a rough time of it herself. A break-in, a wreck, and a premonition that something is terribly wrong with her family. Unable to ignore her growing fears, she enlists the help of a Wyoming-tough neighbor, and the two women make for the mountains.

When Patrick and Perry return to camp, Trish has vanished, along with the horses, the truck, and the trailer. Clues point in opposite directions. Did she run off with the boy whose note Patrick found at the camp? Or was she taken—as the tire marks over their destroyed tent suggest? Whichever it was, the tracks lead into the mountains, not out of them. With help too far away to make it before Trish’s trail is washed away, Patrick and Perry embark on a desperate trek into the wilderness to find her, with Susanne not far behind them.

]]> 428 Pamela Fagan Hutchins Chris 3 audio 4.10 Switchback (Patrick Flint #1)
author: Pamela Fagan Hutchins
name: Chris
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: audio
review:
Alright story. This must be what I keep seeing described as a "cozy" thriller, where there isn't any real bad danger and you don't need to think hard about it. Just easy going drama.
]]> The Sword, Vol. 3: Earth 6570067 152 Joshua Luna 1607060736 Chris 3 4.01 2009 The Sword, Vol. 3: Earth
author: Joshua Luna
name: Chris
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle, urban-fantasy
review:
Not as good as the previous volume. The fights got dumber. How Dara drops the sword at the beginning when getting shot at, but then later blocks a hundred bullets in the same type of scenario, and then does not drop the grip on the sword when her arm is literally being pulled apart......this book is full of stupid little stuff like that. But other times it has some pretty clever writing. The art is passable as always, never great, never terrible, which is fitting for the writing. But somehow it keeps me involved enough to want to continue. Weird.
]]> Stardust 16793 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.]]> 248 Neil Gaiman 0061142026 Chris 4 audio, fantasy 4.11 1999 Stardust
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Chris
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves: audio, fantasy
review:
A fun modern(ish) fairy tale. A grand adventure with interesting characters, with audio read by Gaiman himself. The audiobook included an intro and a short interview, and a short prequel story as well. I've generally liked Neil Gaiman's writing and after looking up the illustrator (Charles Vess) that he mentioned in the interview, I wish I had read this in that format instead. I might have to seek it out.
]]> <![CDATA[World War 1: The Sacrifice of a Generation (The Great Wars of the World)]]> 55593879 105 History Nerds Chris 4 4.08 2020 World War 1: The Sacrifice of a Generation (The Great Wars of the World)
author: History Nerds
name: Chris
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: audio, historical, non-fiction
review:
A quality starter to the vast expanse of The Great War. This is a fairly short read/listen and it kind of covers all the high points without going into too much depth. At times it did feel like 'this battle was on this day, then this battle was on this day' but it opened up a little later. There are chapters on tech, trenches, ottoman empire, etc. I particularly liked the aftermath chapter. It went on about the Spanish Flu, which was concurrent with the end, and some of the other political upheavels of the time. All in all a nice intro.
]]> The Sword, Vol. 2: Water 3312255 152 Joshua Luna 1582409765 Chris 3 ]]> 3.99 2008 The Sword, Vol. 2: Water
author: Joshua Luna
name: Chris
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: kindle, graphic-novel, urban-fantasy
review:
The chase is on. The new sword bearer is going to finish what her father never did, take down the siblings of power. This was an improvement on the first. The art is the same passable fare. There are some pretty great moments interspersed between the dumb stuff. I mean, you'd think a 4,000 year old being would have enough training to just pop this new sword bearer...even with the sword. He did a couple smart things, but not enough in the end. I like the part where her legs get cut off and she almost heals over from touching the sword and decides she has to rip off that new skin, put the legs next to her, THEN heal. This saving grace from a flashback of her new paralysis days and feeling helpless. On to the next. I'll see this through, even if it is semi-mediocre.

]]> <![CDATA[The Omega Strain (Mitch Herron, #1)]]> 36954081

Herron’s business is death and business is good. Though he’s an assassin without equal, his latest job is no walk in the park. Fanatics hell-bent on cleansing the planet ambush Herron and turn him into a walking bioweapon.


With only days before he’s used to spread the most lethal contagion in human history, Herron can surrender himself to quarantine or hunt down the fanatics, knowing he might be the only person who can.


The clock is ticking…]]> 162 Steve P. Vincent Chris 2 audio, espionage 3.91 2017 The Omega Strain (Mitch Herron, #1)
author: Steve P. Vincent
name: Chris
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: audio, espionage
review:
A rather cliched character as the super assassin. It's amazing how dumb of decisions they make considering how amazing they're supposed to be. Pretty generic storyline. At least this one was short.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #3)]]> 43319685 217 Tui T. Sutherland 1338344056 Chris 4 4.52 2019 The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #3)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves:
review:
On to the jungles of the rain wings. Glory finds her tribe and finds where the lazy stereotype comes from. Magic tunnels to multiple other realms and some bad enemies. Glory challenges for the queen title. This one was a good improvement.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #2)]]> 39906995 218 Tui T. Sutherland 0545942209 Chris 3 4.41 2019 The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #2)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel, young-adult
review:
This one focuses on the sea wings kingdom. Meet some more big players including one of the sand wing queens. Decent continuation.
]]> Zero Days 62919765 Ruth Ware returns with this adrenaline-fueled thriller about a woman in a race against time to clear her name and find her husband’s murderer.

Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their suspect—her.

Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer.]]> 356 Ruth Ware 1982155299 Chris 3 audio 3.59 2023 Zero Days
author: Ruth Ware
name: Chris
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves: audio
review:
Semi-generic thriller of a frame-up with the main character on the run to find the truth. Nothing too special, but the narration was sometimes really grating.
]]> The Fixed Period 1287250 207 Anthony Trollope 0472064487 Chris 2 kindle
The entire premise is that this small independent island nation institutes a forced euthanasia program at the age of 68 - The Fixed Period. I found this...interesting, or odd maybe, I'm not sure what the right word is, while my family is caring for a nearly 99 year old grandpa in our home. It's the exact opposite of the idea behind the fixed period. They say that at that age, people basically become worthless, a drain on society, and that society would be so much better off, more wealthy, etc if people just died and passed their belongings down.

Of course, once it's time for this to actually take place, people realize how horrific it actually is. The main character, whose name is a little too on the nose [though this is meant to be satire] - Mr. Neverbend, will not change from their law, because it's SUCH a great idea, he likens himself to Columbus and Galileo. This, in despite of everyone turning on him, including his own wife and son. The first to be 'deposited' is one of his best friends, who also helped write up the law. But he eventually relents and carries through with it, because he is such a great friend to Mr. Neverbend.

Meanwhile there is a great long chapter about cricket that I didn't entirely understand. I think it was just to do with their pride and how great they are because they beat the English team. But knowing nothing about cricket, a lot of it was meaningless to me.

And then, just as Crasweller is being brought for his Fixed Period, the English show up with great big guns and an army and saying they are removing their independence because of this atrocious custom. The people realize just how much they love their freedom from the overpowered empire of Britain and once again side with Neverbend. But the English are too strong, and they force their own governor and take Neverbend away and the Fixed Period ends. But his new plan is to preach the good in the idea and maybe in a century (2080 then I guess) humanity will come to realize that it should be in place after all. And now 2080 is just under 60 years away and we'll see. Euthanasia in general is becoming more accepted in parts of the world, but I'd still assume that Forced euthanasia will still have no place in society. Doesn't stop countless other IPs to show the possibilities, though.

The book overall is interesting, but it sure reads like a book from long long ago. Also, the kindle edition said it was only 90 pages, so I thought I'd zip through it, but a page was actually 3 kindle pages, so it was much longer than expected. ]]> 3.06 1882 The Fixed Period
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Chris
average rating: 3.06
book published: 1882
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves: kindle
review:
This is a pseudo science fiction book written in 1882. Which is interesting in it's own right. There is a small bit of future tech that is still grounded in things like steam power from the time. This is all just background though, to set the story in 1980, to make it sound like this might not be such a crazy far fetched idea a century from now/1880.

The entire premise is that this small independent island nation institutes a forced euthanasia program at the age of 68 - The Fixed Period. I found this...interesting, or odd maybe, I'm not sure what the right word is, while my family is caring for a nearly 99 year old grandpa in our home. It's the exact opposite of the idea behind the fixed period. They say that at that age, people basically become worthless, a drain on society, and that society would be so much better off, more wealthy, etc if people just died and passed their belongings down.

Of course, once it's time for this to actually take place, people realize how horrific it actually is. The main character, whose name is a little too on the nose [though this is meant to be satire] - Mr. Neverbend, will not change from their law, because it's SUCH a great idea, he likens himself to Columbus and Galileo. This, in despite of everyone turning on him, including his own wife and son. The first to be 'deposited' is one of his best friends, who also helped write up the law. But he eventually relents and carries through with it, because he is such a great friend to Mr. Neverbend.

Meanwhile there is a great long chapter about cricket that I didn't entirely understand. I think it was just to do with their pride and how great they are because they beat the English team. But knowing nothing about cricket, a lot of it was meaningless to me.

And then, just as Crasweller is being brought for his Fixed Period, the English show up with great big guns and an army and saying they are removing their independence because of this atrocious custom. The people realize just how much they love their freedom from the overpowered empire of Britain and once again side with Neverbend. But the English are too strong, and they force their own governor and take Neverbend away and the Fixed Period ends. But his new plan is to preach the good in the idea and maybe in a century (2080 then I guess) humanity will come to realize that it should be in place after all. And now 2080 is just under 60 years away and we'll see. Euthanasia in general is becoming more accepted in parts of the world, but I'd still assume that Forced euthanasia will still have no place in society. Doesn't stop countless other IPs to show the possibilities, though.

The book overall is interesting, but it sure reads like a book from long long ago. Also, the kindle edition said it was only 90 pages, so I thought I'd zip through it, but a page was actually 3 kindle pages, so it was much longer than expected.
]]> The Sword, Vol. 1: Fire 1997288
A modern day fantasy series from the creators behind Ultra and Girls, praised as the fusion of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Kill Bill.]]> 160 Joshua Luna 1582408793 Chris 3 graphic-novel 3.95 2008 The Sword, Vol. 1: Fire
author: Joshua Luna
name: Chris
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: graphic-novel
review:
Intriguing but not great. I kind of want to get more back story but I don't think there's enough to matter. Pretty neat how the girl instantly is amazing with the sword. It must transmit training through its power, too, I guess.
]]> The Escape (Snowpiercer, #1) 18594683 110 Jacques Lob 1782761438 Chris 2 3.30 1982 The Escape (Snowpiercer, #1)
author: Jacques Lob
name: Chris
average rating: 3.30
book published: 1982
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: dystopia, graphic-novel, kindle
review:
You can see the bones of the movie, which is great. The book though, not great. Some nonsense, some hard to distinguish parts, some was okay. Kind of disappointing.
]]> <![CDATA[Brawl of the Wild (Dog Man #6)]]> 39983554 224 Dav Pilkey 1338236571 Chris 0 4.47 2018 Brawl of the Wild (Dog Man #6)
author: Dav Pilkey
name: Chris
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: graphic-novel, hardcover, humor, kids, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Born Curious: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to Be Awesome Scientists]]> 48580795 “An inspiring look at women who realized curiosity plus tenacity equals success.� �Kirkus Reviews

Discover the histories of twenty incredible female scientists in this inspiring biography collection from beloved author Martha Freeman and Google Doodler Katy Wu.

Why do galaxies spin the way they do?
What’s the best kind of house for a Komodo dragon?
Can you cure malaria with medicine made from a plant?

The scientists and mathematicians in Born Curious sought answers to these and many other fascinating questions. And it’s lucky for us they did. Without their vision, insight, and hard work, the world would be a sicker, dirtier, and more dangerous place.

The twenty groundbreaking women—including Rosalind Franklin, Marie Tharp, Shirley Anne Jackson, and more—came from all kinds of backgrounds and had all kinds of life experiences. Some grew up rich. Some grew up poor. Some were always the smartest kid in class. Some struggled to do well in school. But all had one thing in They were born curious. Are you curious, too? Read on.]]> 128 Martha Freeman 1534421548 Chris 5
The stories are inspirational and cover a wide range of science topics, nationalities and backgrounds. There is an illustration for each woman that looks great as well. I'd like to have this on my shelf for my kids (not just the girls) as they grow up.]]> 5.00 2020 Born Curious: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to Be Awesome Scientists
author: Martha Freeman
name: Chris
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/06/02
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:
Great book with short bios on some great women scientists through history. There could easily be a part two or more. While I read these to my kids with a range from 3 to 12 and a mix of girls and boys the comprehension and style level is probably best for middle grades to early high school. The stories can occasionally get into some pretty complicated terms even while still at a basic level of the science involved.

The stories are inspirational and cover a wide range of science topics, nationalities and backgrounds. There is an illustration for each woman that looks great as well. I'd like to have this on my shelf for my kids (not just the girls) as they grow up.
]]> <![CDATA[R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)]]> 816443 A visionary work of science fiction that introduced the word "robot"

Written in 1920, premiered in Prague in 1921, and first performed in New York in 1922—garnered worldwide acclaim for its author and popularized the word robot. Mass-produced as efficient laborers to serve man, Capek’s Robots are an android product—they remember everything but think of nothing new. But the Utopian life they provide ultimately lacks meaning, and the humans they serve stop reproducing. When the Robots revolt, killing all but one of their masters, they must strain to learn the secret of self-duplication. It is not until two Robots fall in love and are christened “Adam� and “Eve� by the last surviving human that Nature emerges triumphant]]> 84 Karel Čapek 0141182083 Chris 0 to-read 3.76 1920 R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
author: Karel ÄŚapek
name: Chris
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1920
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #1)]]> 35238083 224 Tui T. Sutherland 0545942152 Chris 3 4.26 2018 The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel, #1)
author: Tui T. Sutherland
name: Chris
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel, paperback
review:
Decent start to a YA story about some dragons of prophecy. Clearly for the younger side of YA, as all characters are pretty simply defined and the action defines it all. My 12 year old daughter loves these. Art is good but nothing amazing.
]]> <![CDATA[The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)]]> 15810910
Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the powder smoke settled, he was left in charge of a demoralized force clinging tenuously to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must win the hearts of her men and lead them into battle against impossible odds.

The fates of both these soldiers and all the men they lead depend on the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, who has been sent by the ailing king to restore order. His military genius seems to know no bounds, and under his command, Marcus and Winter can feel the tide turning. But their allegiance will be tested as they begin to suspect that the enigmatic Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to ignite a meteoric rise, reshape the known world, and change the lives of everyone in its path.]]> 513 Django Wexler 0451465105 Chris 0 to-read 4.03 2013 The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)
author: Django Wexler
name: Chris
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Holly 65916344 Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.� � BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.]]> 449 Stephen King 1668016133 Chris 1 audio I usually love King's books, but this time around he was more interested in talking politics and covid related matters, none of which had anything to do with the story. After confirming with other reviews that the rest of the book was the same, I had no interest in continuing. ]]> 4.01 2023 Holly
author: Stephen King
name: Chris
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at: 2024/09/16
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: audio
review:
DNF 15%
I usually love King's books, but this time around he was more interested in talking politics and covid related matters, none of which had anything to do with the story. After confirming with other reviews that the rest of the book was the same, I had no interest in continuing.
]]> Pirate Latitudes 6428887
Word in port is that the Spanish treasure galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is stalled in nearby Matanceros harbor awaiting repairs. Heavily fortified, the impregnable Spanish outpost is guarded by the blood-swiller Cazalla, a favorite commander of King Philip IV himself. With the governor′s backing, Hunter assembles a roughneck crew to infiltrate the enemy island and commandeer the galleon, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloody legends of Matanceros suggest, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he finds himself on the island′s shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry are all that stand between him and the treasure.

With the help of his cunning crew, Hunter hijacks El Trinidad and escapes the deadly clutches of Cazalla, leaving plenty of carnage in his wake. But his troubles have just begun. . . .]]> 312 Michael Crichton 0061929379 Chris 3 Plot moves quickly enough and there's plenty of fun scenes but it's not enough to get past the meh. If this were in an expected low-brow book like the Deathlands series it would get more of a pass.]]> 3.46 2009 Pirate Latitudes
author: Michael Crichton
name: Chris
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/11
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves:
review:
Pretty mediocre overall. It's fairly swash buckling, but the characters are poorly fleshed out, particularly females. Apparently, Crichton researched some actual historical figures from Jamaica during this era, but then throws in things like kraken attacks. I just assumed it was fully fictional until the epilogue that speaks to their remaining life and the diary is in a museum.
Plot moves quickly enough and there's plenty of fun scenes but it's not enough to get past the meh. If this were in an expected low-brow book like the Deathlands series it would get more of a pass.
]]> The Anubis Gates 142296
Caught up in the intrigue between rival bands of beggars, pursued by Egyptian sorcerers, and befriended by Coleridge, Doyle somehow survives and learns more about the mysterious Ashbless than he could ever have imagined possible...]]> 387 Tim Powers 0441004016 Chris 0 to-read 3.93 1983 The Anubis Gates
author: Tim Powers
name: Chris
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1983
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Boogyman (BOOGYMAN TP) 84914259
Passionate about reading, Elliott has always had a preference for the stories of boogeymen, those monstrous creatures which, at night, hide in the shadows or under the bed to frighten little children. He can't imagine how much they will change his life... Witnessing the bloody murder of his parents, he will discover that, in reality, boogeymen do indeed exist, and very precise codes govern their existence. When one of the most powerful boogeymen, "Father-Death," decides to protect him, Elliott finds himself plunged into a terrible conflict at the heart of a universe as terrifying as it is fascinating. On a dark, stormy night, Elliott's destiny will be fulfilled...

Creators Mathieu Silvia and Djet craft a stylish, nightmare world and take you on a non-stop action adventure into the realm of the Boogymen. Collects the 6 issue series, along with cover gallery and bonus material.]]> 184 Mathieu Salvia 1684971276 Chris 4 graphic-novel, horror, kindle
*Turns out he really isn't the last, because there are two others that make appearances later in the book. There were some other pretty minor inconsistencies in the writing, but overall I really enjoyed the story. It's nothing ground breaking, but it was done well and the artwork is absolutely fantastic. ]]> 3.60 The Boogyman (BOOGYMAN TP)
author: Mathieu Salvia
name: Chris
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/07
date added: 2024/09/07
shelves: graphic-novel, horror, kindle
review:
The Boogymen (and Boogywomen) are fighting! One kid has a newly reformed Father Death, the oldest of the Boogeymen, keeping him safe instead of causing trouble and scaring him. When another Grandma boogy comes along, the new guard so-to-speak go to war to finish off the 'last*' elder boogy.

*Turns out he really isn't the last, because there are two others that make appearances later in the book. There were some other pretty minor inconsistencies in the writing, but overall I really enjoyed the story. It's nothing ground breaking, but it was done well and the artwork is absolutely fantastic.
]]> <![CDATA[Fables, Vol. 12: The Dark Ages]]> 5973711 Winner of Fourteen Eisner Awards

Collateral Damage
The great war between Fabletown and the mighty empire of the Adversary is over, and the victorious free Fables have brought their defeated enemy back from the Homelands to join them in exile. Their celebrations, however, are destined to be short-lived. As it turns out, not even beloved storybook heroes can escape the law of unintended consequences. In the post-war chaos of the Adversary's former realm, a terrible force is about to be unleased - an evil that threatens not just Fabletown but the entire mundane world.

Collecting: Fables 76-82]]> 192 Bill Willingham 1401223168 Chris 5 fantasy, graphic-novel 4.22 2009 Fables, Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
author: Bill Willingham
name: Chris
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel
review:
The war's aftermath seems pretty dire. Again, a major character dies, but everyone hopes for the rebirth (because all good fables are forever, right?). We'll see. Some pretty big baddies get released but not concluded, so that is yet to come. Geppetto is brought into the Fabletown fold and I can see where he'll be useful soon, but for now mostly just everyone hates him.
]]> <![CDATA[Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces]]> 3392123
Collecting: Fables 70-75]]> 192 Bill Willingham 1401219136 Chris 5 fantasy, graphic-novel 4.25 2008 Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces
author: Bill Willingham
name: Chris
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novel
review:
The WAR. The Fabletown fables take the war to the Imperialists with much success! They are virtually unstoppable using a combination of modern weaponry, magic, and subterfuge. Some pretty major characters die as a result, though, so it's not all fun and games. Great volume.
]]> <![CDATA[Bone Orchard: Tenement (Bone Orchard Mythos)]]> 202201858
In TENEMENT, Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino bring you the story of seven residents of a building and the dark secrets that bind them together. It begins with a sinister death and leads the neighbors on a mind-melting and horrific journey to save their own lives and each other's. As they find their way home, the secrets of the Bone Orchard are finally revealed in this critical chapter that readers have been waiting for!

Collects Bone Orchard: Tenement #1-#10.]]> 304 Jeff Lemire 1534397140 Chris 3 graphic-novel, kindle
But the story is just....there. It's an experience, I suppose. But none of it makes a lick of sense. The characters try to put up a front of being something but not really. Some neat things happen in moments. And then it's the next cool moment. And then it's done. ]]> 3.62 2024 Bone Orchard: Tenement (Bone Orchard Mythos)
author: Jeff Lemire
name: Chris
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves: graphic-novel, kindle
review:
This book is very cool, like shiny, but it's like a random piece of plastic with a metallic coating. There is just not much here. Visually, it's illustrated in a way that makes me wonder if it was rotoscoped from pictures, at least of the people, not the environments. Which has it's own weird look to it. The coloring of the different panels is pretty neatly done. And the framing is often good. The illustrations of the gods or whatever is very cool.

But the story is just....there. It's an experience, I suppose. But none of it makes a lick of sense. The characters try to put up a front of being something but not really. Some neat things happen in moments. And then it's the next cool moment. And then it's done.
]]> All Hallows 127281538
New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author Christopher Golden is best known for his supernatural thrillers set in deadly, distant locales...but in this suburban Halloween drama, Golden brings the horror home .

All Hallows. The one night when everything is a mask...]]> 352 Christopher Golden 1250322006 Chris 0 to-read 3.50 2023 All Hallows
author: Christopher Golden
name: Chris
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Chris 4 audio, adventure, classics
The book is less adventure travelogue than I expected. I assumed it would be more like 20,000 Leagues, where it talks about all the sites and fancies around the world, but it barely touched on those things. This was another part I wondered whether it was abridged, but that would be an awful large piece to have removed if it was. It really was about how Fogg had to finagle connections to win this race around the world. All the foibles and missed connections, while being pursued by a confused detective. It had some humor and generally the book is very light.]]> 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Chris
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/21
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: audio, adventure, classics
review:
I listened to this on audible and I'm not entirely sure if it's somewhat abridged because of the way it's produced. It is a production with music, SFX, multiple voice actors. So maybe it only removes things like "she said" and the sort, but I'd have to look at a print copy to compare. Either way, it was well done, well voiced.

The book is less adventure travelogue than I expected. I assumed it would be more like 20,000 Leagues, where it talks about all the sites and fancies around the world, but it barely touched on those things. This was another part I wondered whether it was abridged, but that would be an awful large piece to have removed if it was. It really was about how Fogg had to finagle connections to win this race around the world. All the foibles and missed connections, while being pursued by a confused detective. It had some humor and generally the book is very light.
]]> Legendary (Caraval, #2) 36337082 A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever...

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.]]> 416 Stephanie Garber Chris 0 to-read 4.15 2018 Legendary (Caraval, #2)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Chris
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> By the Light of Dead Stars 63898025
When tragedy shatters thirteen-year-old Zelda Ruiz’s adolescence, she retreats with her uncle Mark to the bucolic town of Greywood Bay. It’s a chance to heal, a chance to build a new life together.

But nothing can prepare them for the malignant terror long coveting these lands.
It looms over redwood groves and lurks among the foundations of homes. It festers in the dark hearts of the wounded. And now, this cosmic horror has found a new weapon: a means to worm its way into our world.

To save their community—and each other—Zelda and Mark will need to confront their darkest demons, both inside and out. For what stalks Greywood Bay hungers for suffering above all else.

And soon, it will feast� By the Light of Dead Stars.]]> 394 Andrew Van Wey Chris 4 horror, kindle
Van Wey does a good job at writing those horror moments, though. They can legitimately get creepy. And the characters are fun. This book is a little on the YA side of writing, I think, but that also has to do with some of the main characters being 13. That's okay, though. But the things they can get away with can be silly, as is typical with YA.

I appreciated the ending with the main adult character joining AA. I had been thinking, man he drinks A LOT. Reading it, I wrote it off as just dealing with stress, but it increased over time, too. So that part of the ending just felt extra satisfying.

Fun read, in general.]]> 4.29 By the Light of Dead Stars
author: Andrew Van Wey
name: Chris
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: horror, kindle
review:
I liked this book, but I had some qualms with it also. I liked Andrew Van Wey's last book better, though that one had some of the same issues. Must be a style of his. What I don't like is the magic of horror that is at the same time only in someone's head but also in reality (killing a character for example). But then it can also instantly disappear. The other issue, in this case, is that this mega horror monster that is out of space and time and all-powerful-ish and it only cares about this one small community? Maybe in the next book that will be a thing mentioned, why here, and it will make all the sense. I do plan on getting that book as well.

Van Wey does a good job at writing those horror moments, though. They can legitimately get creepy. And the characters are fun. This book is a little on the YA side of writing, I think, but that also has to do with some of the main characters being 13. That's okay, though. But the things they can get away with can be silly, as is typical with YA.

I appreciated the ending with the main adult character joining AA. I had been thinking, man he drinks A LOT. Reading it, I wrote it off as just dealing with stress, but it increased over time, too. So that part of the ending just felt extra satisfying.

Fun read, in general.
]]> Blaze 349473
The last of the Richard Bachman novels, recently recovered and published for the first time. Stephen King's "dark half" may have saved the best for last.

A fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze in 1973 on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 ("cancer of the pseudonym"), but in late 2006 King found the original typescript of Blaze among his papers at the University of Maine's Fogler Library ("How did this get here?!"), and decided that with a little revision it ought to be published.

Blaze is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. --of the crimes committed against him and the crimes he commits, including his last, the kidnapping of a baby heir worth millions. Blaze has been a slow thinker since childhood, when his father threw him down the stairs--and then threw him down again. After escaping an abusive institution for boys when he was a teenager, Blaze hooks up with George, a seasoned criminal who thinks he has all the answers. But then George is killed, and Blaze, though haunted by his partner, is on his own.

He becomes one of the most sympathetic criminals of all of literature. This is a crime story of surprising strength and sadness, with a suspenseful current sustained by the classic workings of fate and character--as taut and riveting as Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.]]> 285 Richard Bachman 141655484X Chris 4 audio, crime
It's pretty obvious how King was inspired by Of Mice and Men. There are a lot of similarities. I'm just glad he didn't unwittingly kill the baby in the process. I thought it would end up with the cops killing the baby just as they are able to rescue him, but nope, not that either. I liked the progression in how his semi-psychic mind of George develops and that it is not just imagination, but some sort of intuition.

Pretty good story, relatively straight forward. I don't know how anyone could mistake Bachman for anyone other than King, considering they have the same locations included like Castle Rock and Shawshank prison. Not to mention the writing style is basically identical. Pretty flimsy alternate pen name, I guess. Probably why he didn't keep it for long. ]]> 3.76 2007 Blaze
author: Richard Bachman
name: Chris
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/14
date added: 2024/08/14
shelves: audio, crime
review:
Blaze had a rough life handed to him. His father threw him down the stairs just to pick him up and throw him down the stairs again. He could have been a real good guy but ended up in the wrong crowd.

It's pretty obvious how King was inspired by Of Mice and Men. There are a lot of similarities. I'm just glad he didn't unwittingly kill the baby in the process. I thought it would end up with the cops killing the baby just as they are able to rescue him, but nope, not that either. I liked the progression in how his semi-psychic mind of George develops and that it is not just imagination, but some sort of intuition.

Pretty good story, relatively straight forward. I don't know how anyone could mistake Bachman for anyone other than King, considering they have the same locations included like Castle Rock and Shawshank prison. Not to mention the writing style is basically identical. Pretty flimsy alternate pen name, I guess. Probably why he didn't keep it for long.
]]> Pixy 149512 72 Max Andersson 1560971312 Chris 3 4.38 1992 Pixy
author: Max Andersson
name: Chris
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/10
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: violent, kindle, graphic-novel
review:
A seriously bizarre trip of a book. Where the drug of choice is the future, where they see their success, and aborted fetuses live in a separate uncontrolled district in the kingdom of the dead. The main character Alka Seltzer is told by his girlfriend Angina to go kill their aborted fetus and travels to the Kingdom of Death where everything goes in reverse, only later to be replaced with their recycle bodies that quickly are killed and transform into furniture "because they are made from the same material." It's just bizarre thing after bizarre thing. The artwork is rough and a high contrast black and white but somehow reminds me of the 90s cartoon AAAH! Real Monsters, though I'm not sure why. I thought I recognized the name Max Andersson but looking him up after, he hasn't made anything I'm familiar with. It was interesting, but the plot just seemed like a 5 year old telling a story where everything is suddenly new nonsensical thing after new nonsensical thing.
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