Ok, first things first, I know the author. In fact, I would probably describe myself as a friend of the author. Which means that anything I say next i...moreOk, first things first, I know the author. In fact, I would probably describe myself as a friend of the author. Which means that anything I say next is going to be coloured with that brush. I did, however, pay cold hard cash for my copy of the book - a whole 99c (USD) - which is probably also necessary knowledge before you read my review. And, finally, I don't normally read police procedural books, but I picked this up because a friend had written it and it only cost 99c, so I couldn't see the harm. Assuming that is all the information you need - here's my review.
I liked it. It should really be read in one sitting (which is entirely possible because it is more of a novella than a novel) to get the full enjoyment of the story. This is not a "who-dunnit" as the book isn't over padded with red-herrings, wild-goose chases, and other animal-themed asides. No, this starts with a murder, moves on to another murder, and continues until....well, until the end (HA! You're not getting any spoilers out of me.). Along the way a blogger gets involved, and helps the police out with their enquiries (in a positive way).
All in all it is a quick and easy read, with a satisfying conclusion. I'm looking forward to the follow up, which will hopefully flesh out the characters fully. The problem with a novella is that there isn't enough to fully form the characters, and I want to know more about Wil and Chief Inspector Price.
Well, that was different. I really disliked book 2, Catching Fire, but having read my way through two books, I decided to give book three a go. And, I...moreWell, that was different. I really disliked book 2, Catching Fire, but having read my way through two books, I decided to give book three a go. And, I'm glad I did. It is a totally different book. Oh, it never achieves the heights of book one, but it does have its moments.
These moments are mostly caused because of Ms. Collins changing the whole premise of the book, changing the thought patterns of the characters, changing the whole way that time passes, changing her mind about what sort of book she is writing. From the very first chapter, where we suddenly learn that "everything you knew before was wrong", to the second last chapter, where we suddenly learn that "everything that you thought you now knew is in fact as wrong as the other bit you knew", the book becomes very schizophrenic - it really doesn't know what it wants to be. Oh, we still have the odd moments of Katniss pretending to be Bella from Twilight, and we have a lot more moments of her pretending to be Ripley in Aliens, but instead of the book being all about "me, me, me" somehow she becomes more of a viewer to other people's problems. She does actually grow a little in this book. Not much, it is still up to too many other people to do all the hard work for her. But occasionally she does have glimpses of empathy - which is nice.
It is a strange beast this book, because by the end of it, there are very few likeable characters left. Katniss (in case you haven't guessed) I never particularly liked, even though I was desperate for her to be likeable. However, as the book progresses, everyone you learn to like (or have liked), either dies or becomes unlikeable.
The best news about this book is that it ends. There cannot be any more...unless the author - no, she wouldn't. Anyway, even if she did, I won't be on for the ride.
If you've read book 2, read this. Even if it is just to get the taste of book 2 out of your mouth. It'll give you proper closure, and in the second third of the book, remind you why you enjoyed The Hunger Games so much. I'm fairly sure that the film is going to be great though. So, on the whole, I'd give the whole three books a miss and just watch the film instead! [And that is probably the first time I have ever said that.](less)
I was slightly disappointed with the ending of book one (The Hunger Games), but I enjoyed the premise and so decided to read book two. Oh dear.
...moreI was slightly disappointed with the ending of book one (The Hunger Games), but I enjoyed the premise and so decided to read book two. Oh dear.
Let me explain. I'm a school teacher. I teach sixth grade (11/12 year olds) and am on the look out for well written, exciting stories that will challenge and inspire my students. At first I thought I had found one, The Hunger Games, and even more so, I thought I had found a book with a female protagonist. At last someone who can stand up for herself, make her own decisions, and become proactive. Unfortunately, Ms. Collins seems to have given up totally on her leading light. Suddenly I appear to be reading a book from the "Twilight" series, and I seem stuck with a female character who cannot decide between one boy or the other, and instead of being proactive, is treated like an "idiot" by all those around her...including the author.
The book is frustrating. You tend to read it very quickly, it does "suck you in", but it is annoying. Personally I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. That said, you know what I'm going to do next? I'm going to read book 3. I am already dreading it.(less)
I picked this up because I was looking through a list of "books for young adults", looking for stuff to recommend to my class. I also knew t...moreI picked this up because I was looking through a list of "books for young adults", looking for stuff to recommend to my class. I also knew there was a film coming, so I thought it would be a good idea to read it before the film. And, I'd also heard that it had been banned somewhere, which I always find as a fairly good recommendation.
It is a very good, very fast read. Be aware that it is for "young adults", and so (if you aren't 12 years old) this isn't going to stretch you. However, it is still fairly emotive. I found myself fully involved, fairly worried, and (twice) moved emotionally. It is a real page-turner!
Three quarters through, I was convinced this would have been 5 stars. However, I found the ending a bit flat - the highly emotional ending I was looking for, never came. But, don't let that put you off. Pick it up and enjoy the ride. I can assure you, you'll finish it in under a week because you won't want to put it down.(less)
I apologise. I am really sorry that I ever recommended A Game of Thrones. I still believe that GoT was a brilliant book but, the problem is, this seri...moreI apologise. I am really sorry that I ever recommended A Game of Thrones. I still believe that GoT was a brilliant book but, the problem is, this series never again gains those heights. Book two is good, book three you have to read to get the full impact of "the weddings". Don't bother to read book 4, read the Wikipedia recap. And really, honestly - this isn't a great book. I finished it because I'm being a completest, but I'm happy in the knowledge that I won't have to read another one for five years. And that isn't what I expected. I expected, when I set out on this 5000+ odyssey to be desperate for the next book to come out. At the moment, I'm relieved.
After the 900 pages of the last book, where the plot didn't move anywhere, this turned out to be another 1000 pages that leaves the reader in pretty much the same position as when they started. Mr. Martin appears to have written himself to a standstill. Not sure how he is going to get to where he planned, not sure how he is going to get himself out of all the corners he has written himself into, not sure if he wants to write anything new rather than telling stories from times before.
Oh, there are a couple more dead people around - although the author has started to regret the deaths of many of his characters and suddenly they seem to come back to life or re-appear in a moment of misdirection (hell, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if Ned Stark came back to life). There are a couple of new characters for you to learn to like/dislike/ignore. And there are hundreds and hundreds of pages full of lists of people who lived long ago and did stuff that might (or might not) affect what is happening now.
So, that's over. Thank all seven gods - and the other one and the other gods as well (the ones who aren't the seven) and the two gods of whom one can't be named and the drowned god and...and do you start to see how many blummin' religions exist? But it's over. The reading bit.(less)
This is the second book about Cicero's life. There is a third to come. As is the way with trilogies, the first book is written with the intention of m...moreThis is the second book about Cicero's life. There is a third to come. As is the way with trilogies, the first book is written with the intention of making us love the main character, love them enough to want to follow them through another two books. This book is the "second act", the book where all the odds are stacked against our hero, and he is left to face death/destruction/ruin. Obviously, come the third book, our hero will rise, phoenix like, from the ashes. However, knowing all this doesn't detract from the story.
Cicero becomes unlikeable. He becomes conceited, arrogant, and too full of himself to notice that he is set on the path to his own destruction. The author manages to keep our attention though by changing the direction of the novel - or at least the novel's gaze. Instead of this book being just about Cicero, in which case many a reader might well have given up, the focus of the story moves more to his slave/companion/secretary Tiro. In this book Tiro becomes the more sympathetic character, and it is his story you learn to love. Of course, his story follows Cicero's exactly - his fate/fortune is tied implicitly to Cicero's. And let's get it right, Tiro is the wise slave, with 20/20 hindsight.
A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the conclusion.(less)
This is a hard review to write for two reasons: I know the author; I didn't read the book correctly.
Let's get the "knowing the author"...moreThis is a hard review to write for two reasons: I know the author; I didn't read the book correctly.
Let's get the "knowing the author" out of the way first. I don't *know* him in the biblical sense. I've read a lot of Mr. Pruteanu's work before, some of it fiction, some of it non-fiction (I will be saving those emails for when he is rich and famous and I can use them in a "kiss-and-tell" moment...maybe there was something biblical?). All of this means that any review is automatically coloured by my friendship.
The friendship also meant that I read the book incorrectly. Let me explain: you need to sit down and read this book in one. Foolishly, because I was used to reading the author's short pieces and I was fooled by the use of the words "short" and "cut" in the title, I thought this was a book that I could read a bit of, put it down, read a bit more, put it down. This is not the correct way to read the book. The book is written like a piece of jazz music, and has its own specific rhythm. Some books you can pick up and read and you get into the rhythm, the pacing, straight away. "Short Lean Cuts" does have a rhythm, but it is hidden under the "freestyle" riffing of each chapter. If you read the book in one go, you feel the driving rhythm underneath each chapter, but you can follow each individual solo as it occurs. Unfortunately, I didn't do this for the first half of the book. This made the book very hard to read. Once I made a decision to "just do it", the book flowed much better.
The book isn't easy. It is very reminiscent of Chuck Palahniuk, but at his darkest. However, the book is rewarding. There are moments when you wish that the author had run a bit further with an idea, but that, in some ways, is the point of the book - these are short, lean cuts of a bigger story. The author uses the minimum of words to tell a huge story. The reader is free to fill in the bits that are important to them. (less)
Nothing happened. Nothing. By the time you arrive at the end of the book, the story is still in pretty much exactly the same...moreThis was awful.
Nothing happened. Nothing. By the time you arrive at the end of the book, the story is still in pretty much exactly the same position as it was at the beginning. Seriously, if you are reading this series, miss this book out - go to Wikipedia and check out the highlights (of which there aren't many).
24 hours later and I've come back and changed my rating on this. When I finished it, yesterday, I happily gave it 4 stars - really liked it. However, ...more24 hours later and I've come back and changed my rating on this. When I finished it, yesterday, I happily gave it 4 stars - really liked it. However, a night's sleep, a day's work, and some mental digestion and I've changed my mind. 3 stars - I liked it. I didn't really like it.
There are a couple of reasons that I didn't really like it. The first was that the author adopted a "Da Vinci Code" style of writing. In the previous books, each chapter had come to an end, and the story progressed in the next chapter. (Each chapter is told from a different person's perspective. This means that there are multiple story lines happening all the time.) However, in this book the author has decided to end each chapter on a cliff hanger. It took some time to notice this at first. Unfortunately, once I did notice it, it became very irritating.
The next problem is [and at this point I will try to avoid too many spoilers but be warned, you might infer certain information, so you might want to move on to the next paragraph] he kills too many people. I understand that people have to die. I understand that "in the Game of Thrones you win or you die". But, in one 200 page chunk, Mr. Martin gets rid of several of the main characters. Of course, there is always the chance that due to sorcery that might come back to life... (really?)
The final problem, for me, is that the book needs a better editor. The world that Mr. Martin has invented, is fantastic. He has gone into great detail, building huge back stories. I imagine his writing area's walls are covered in maps and pages and pages and pages of history. The back stories are myriad. However, it appears that the author has decided not to let any of his "research" go to waste. Instead of just implying some of the history, instead of he being the only person who understand the driving forces of his characters, he has chosen to share everything with the reader. Everything. This means that the book is a 1200+ page monster. Maybe it is because I have sat down and read the three books in a row (and am now starting on the fourth) that I would appreciate a little more editing. The fact is, I want to follow these stories, I want to know what happens to these characters, however I am slowly starting to feel snowed under with excess information that I don't need.
My fear is Wikipedia. I know that with a couple of clicks I could very quickly find a summary of these novels, and thus a conclusion to the stories I am reading. At the moment I am resisting the urge. However, I worry that without a bit more editing, I might succumb. (less)
Not as good as the first one, Game of Thrones. The book suffers because, like most part IIs, it has no conclusions to story lines, it is just a steppi...moreNot as good as the first one, Game of Thrones. The book suffers because, like most part IIs, it has no conclusions to story lines, it is just a stepping stone to the rest of the story.
I also didn't really like the introduction of "telling the story via dreams". The books are well written and there are clues to many of the secrets/mysteries of the book: who is "the bastard's" mother; who really killed The Hand. If you read carefully, you can pick up those clues. This, in my view, is good writing. However, I dislike the whole "dreams predict the story" bits that have crept into this book. Also, the fact that dreams can start to tell the story of what is happening "off camera". My feeling is, the author is better than this, and he has a useful device - the telling of the story through the eyes of others - that he could use to make the story more real. Ok, truth me told, I sort of dislike the introduction of magic.
Anyhoo, that said, it was still a really enjoyable read. Now off to read book three: A Storm of Swords.(less)
I first came across this book because of the HBO series. I enjoyed the first couple of episodes, enjoyed them enough to seek out a copy of the book. N...moreI first came across this book because of the HBO series. I enjoyed the first couple of episodes, enjoyed them enough to seek out a copy of the book. Now, I normally steer clear of books once I've seen the film/watched the television show/worn the t-shirt, mainly because I have found that only pain and disappointment lay on that path.
However, twenty pages in, and I was hooked.
The book is huge, not just physically but also in scope. The story is multi-layered, with complex characters, and a well designed plot line. I really can't rave about this book enough. I realise that it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I realise that I haven't said much about the book at all, this is because I don't want to give anything away. I can say that it is set in medieval times - but on a different world. There is a lot of sword fighting, there is a huge amount of politics, there are battles, and there is a hint of sorcery. However, the over-riding theme is "The Game of Thrones". The game that everyone plays to win. Because you either win or die.
Now, I must go because there are another three books already published in this series and I need to get on with them. (less)
It was ok. I wouldn't read it again. I wouldn't recommend it. If you happen to pick up a copy in the doctor's waiting room, read it - it'll take your ...moreIt was ok. I wouldn't read it again. I wouldn't recommend it. If you happen to pick up a copy in the doctor's waiting room, read it - it'll take your mind off your problems. But, when you put it down, don't worry that you've missed out on anything.(less)
I didn't finish this book. This is not the books fault/failure, it's mine. And yes, I know that using the line "it's not you, it's me" is a ...moreI didn't finish this book. This is not the books fault/failure, it's mine. And yes, I know that using the line "it's not you, it's me" is a bit rubbish, but in this case it is very true. I loved this book when I started it, charged into it, and read loads. Then I hit the wall. Work caught up with me, life caught up with me, and I put it down. A month went by and, as much as I loved the book, I just couldn't summon up the enthusiasm to enter the world again.
The book follows the story of Thomas Cromwell. A man who started off as a blacksmith's son and rose to one of the highest positions in England, as an adviser to Henry VIII. Historically, these were interesting times, as Henry sought to divorce his first wife. In order to do so, the country had to move away from the Catholic church. I realise that this sounds boring but the book is written in a lively, entertaining way. It captures the feeling of the times and you do get caught up in the tension and the political intrigue. The author humanises all the characters, and makes Cromwell (a person that history has treated badly) really personable. As others all around him fall to the wayside, you start to really fear for his safety. If he is "the last man standing" as the king's main adviser, when the king loses his temper (again), he'll be next in line.
You know, now I've sat down and started to write this review, I've remembered how much I enjoyed it. Maybe I should pick it up again and finish it off.(less)
I normally avoid books when I've seen the film, I'm a great believer in reading the book first. I accept that they are both different mediums, but I b...moreI normally avoid books when I've seen the film, I'm a great believer in reading the book first. I accept that they are both different mediums, but I believe that the film can often steal from the enjoyment of a book. I like the building of characters in a book, the painting of the pictures. A good book makes the mental effort worth while, makes the book far more enjoyable. I've found that films often rob me of that delight. The pictures are drawn for you, you don't have to visualise the characters because the actors present you with their interpretation. To make matters worse, the Coen brothers are brilliant film directors/producers. I find their films exceedingly picturesque/character driven. I was worried that the film would over power the book. I was wrong.
Although the film covers much of the ground of the book, it tends to focus more "on the money trail" and Chirgurh. The book has a different focus, the story of the sheriff, the man who is finding himself too old for the country he lives in. Because of this it is very easy to forget the film all together. Mr. McCarthy is a brilliant writer, who writes very evocatively. As he writes, he repaints the characters, the scenes, and thus the book becomes the true picture, and the memory of the film fades.
A very enjoyable read, although it should be stated that the book has very little (to no) joy. It is, as most Cormac McCarthy books are, predominantly sad. There are no happy endings for any of the characters, and no happy ending. This doesn't mean that there isn't a sense that there was once a happy time, it's just that we will never reclaim it.(less)
It might have something to do with timing - but then again, doesn't everything have something to do with timing - but this is the second time I've "...moreIt might have something to do with timing - but then again, doesn't everything have something to do with timing - but this is the second time I've "read" this book, and it meant a lot more to me this time than the first time.
Let me explain. The reason the word "read" is in bunny ears is because the first time I heard this book. maria read me the book, sat in a car park, outside Plaza Bonita, waiting for the mall to open. It was a perfect Sunday morning. It was a perfect day. I mean, really, can there be anything better in life than sitting around on a Sunday morning with the woman you love reading you a book? If "this is water", then let me drown.
The second time I read the book was under slightly different circumstances. I hadn't read a book for over a year. I was suffering terribly from "reader's block". It was the middle of January - those depressing days after Christmas/New Year. Everything seemed to be going wrong with my job. Again maria [isn't she wonderful] came to my aid, and presented me with "This Is Water".
And I read it.
And it broke my "reader's block". And it spoke to me. This time I started to recognise all the stuff I was going through was just "water". Does that mean that I recommend you read this on dark, depressed days? Nope. I recommend you just read it. It will just make your day shinier.(less)
I haven't read a book for a year. I needed something to get me going. Something that wasn't to thick, too chewy. Something that wasn't so bad that it...moreI haven't read a book for a year. I needed something to get me going. Something that wasn't to thick, too chewy. Something that wasn't so bad that it would put me off reading, but something that wasn't too difficult that I would pull a brain-muscle. Step forward Michael J. Fox.
I'm sure that if you really, really liked MJF then this is a fantastic book. [Mind you, is there anyone who doesn't like MJF?] For the rest of humanity, this is the book you pick up when you are stuck in a hotel and they have a library. You aren't offended; it makes you smile with its recognition of events/people you know; you can put it down and walk away without ever wondering how it finishes.
Thank you MJF. I'm reading again. However, I put your book down and walked away. (less)
I've now started this review six times, deleting what I have written each time. Can I just start in the middle of the review because I can't think of ...moreI've now started this review six times, deleting what I have written each time. Can I just start in the middle of the review because I can't think of anything clever to say at the beginning?
I'm not sure that there is much of a plot to this story, and what there is could actually make a very short essay. However, Mr. Banks manages to build a huge story around a thin plot, and you don't feel cheated. There was no point in the story that I felt dragged, there is no feeling of "padding". It is just an exceptionally well told story. It crosses back and forth across 50 years, covering the lives of a Scottish family. It weaves a mystery through those lives. However, you often don't care about the mystery (I'd worked out most of it well before the end), you really become involved in the lives of the characters. (less)
I read this book because my book club had picked it. Can that sound any more insulting? I think I'd read it before, when I was a lot younger. I know t...moreI read this book because my book club had picked it. Can that sound any more insulting? I think I'd read it before, when I was a lot younger. I know that it is on my mother's bookshelf, she was very excited when she heard that the book club had chosen it. Anyhoo, it is bad. And not in a way that "it is so bad it is good", it is just bad in a way that "pulling nostril hairs with a pair of pliers" is no fun at all.
You get the feeling that Mr. Archer came up with the title during an evening's drinking, came up with the plot after a couple more drinks, dictated the story when the bottle was finished. What makes it worse is that you get the feeling that his editor was there at the same drinking session, thus failing to correct the countless mistakes.
Forget the childish writing that an editor should pick up (really, soldiers take their clothes off and fold them neatly before raping a women?), nor the arrival of deus ex machina characters who have no life outside moving the story on (can anyone really explain what that woman was doing on the train outside a gulag?). No, it is the basic errors in the plot that tend to make you think the editor didn't really bother to read the thing.
Actually, this book annoyed me so much that I am typing this and getting angrier and angrier, remembering how bad it was. So I'll stop.(less)
I didn't know this book existed. Actually, that's not true. I had seen in my Goodreads update that Neil Gaiman had just read a book about John Peel, b...moreI didn't know this book existed. Actually, that's not true. I had seen in my Goodreads update that Neil Gaiman had just read a book about John Peel, but I didn't take a lot of notice. I hit delete and moved on. Therefore, it was a wonderful surprise when maria handed me a parcel from Amazon and wished me a happy father's day.
This is a collection of some of John Peel's writing, all of it hammered out on his Olivetti typewriter (hence the title). The articles are collected from several sources and span four decades, the 1970s to the 2000s.
It is wonderful to "hear" John's voice again. Through the stories you rediscover his love of his family, music, and Liverpool football club. Obviously, most people know Mr. Peel (I can't call him John) through his radio shows. In my case (and I am probably not alone in this) it was spending the night, listening through an ear piece, as the signal faded in-and-out, under the blankets - so I wouldn't get caught. From 1976 to 1979 I followed a revolution in music through its greatest reporter, John Peel.
Some of the articles in this book deal with the paucity of music in 1975/6. John Peel predicts (and often demands) a change in the music scene. When the change comes, centred around The Sex Pistols, John Peel leaps to their defence. In one article, his defence is more of an attack on the "old" establishment, and the Last Night of The Proms.
But not all the articles are about music, many cover his other interests; family, football, television, and TT racing.
This is a fantastic book for anyone who was ever touched by John Peel's own brand of magic. It is a great book for anyone who grew up through the years 74-84, as the book will cause you to reminisce over "the good olde days". It is a good book for anyone who enjoys well thought out writing.
There are books that call out to you. You try to avoid them, you don't intend to ever read them, but somehow they end up in your hot sweaty hand as yo...moreThere are books that call out to you. You try to avoid them, you don't intend to ever read them, but somehow they end up in your hot sweaty hand as you walk out the store.
I came across this book 5/6 months ago on the "buy two get third free" shelf in Borders. I already had my two books and was doing that desperate search for a third book - you know how it always goes. I picked this up and read the first couple of pages and thought it had potential, this was going to be my third book. Except I ended up walking out with Cormac McCarthy' The Road. A couple of months later I am convinced I read a review from a friend, a review that raved about the book. Last month I had money in my pocket and was picking up a Roddy Doyle book and I love you Beth Cooper, somehow, came home with me.
I liked the first two pages, a friend liked it, so when I got to page 50 and toyed with throwing it away, I continued to read, waiting for it to get better. It never did. However, it wasn't "eye-clawingly-out" bad, it just never lived up to its own hype.
Basically it is a movie, a teen movie based on Graduation night from High School. The valevictorian (uber geek/nerd) announces in his speech that he loves the captain of the cheerleader squad, and hilarity ensues. However, whereas "SuperBad" I found amusing, this I didn't. The book moves from set scene to set scene (which would work well in a movie, not so good in a book - plot holes in a book make very little sense), each scene culminates in an action sequence which would look wonderful on the screen, but is convoluted in the book.
Maybe I didn't like this book because I found it full of clichés (at one point one character even accuses another of speaking in clichés). Or maybe because I never went to an American High School. Or maybe because I was never unpopular. Or maybe because I am too old. I am sure that some people will like it, just as I am sure that some people like "American Pie", it just didn't "rock my boat". (less)
My name is Will, and that is also the name of this book - coincidence? I don't think so. Someone, somewhere, thought it would be "amusing" t...moreMy name is Will, and that is also the name of this book - coincidence? I don't think so. Someone, somewhere, thought it would be "amusing" to get me a book that's title is something I might say. Even betterer [sic:] the "friend" also got the book signed and dedicated by the author - dedicated to me! The author has written inside the book: "Your name is Will". The whole concept is genius! Shame I can't say the same for the book.
I hate to say bad things about a book, especially when I don't finish it. Who knows, maybe after the first 100 pages the whole thing takes off. Maybe the telling of two stories, one of theWilliam Shakespeare the other of a Will Shakespeare, is a brilliant idea, and the two stories intertwine arriving at a brilliant and amazing conclusion. Unfortunately, I am old and have come to the opinion that I don't have too much time left on this earth - well, not enough time to read all the good books that are out there. And so, if the book doesn't bite in 100 pages then it is time to quit and move on. This book didn't "bite", in fact, as the kids are saying on the streets (so I hear), this book just bites. Bites and sucks. Both. At the same time.
Eighty four pages and I decided that "enough was enough". Enough about future Will and his hunt for drugs, his disastrous family, and his desire to get laid. Enough about real Will and his terrible puns, his disastrous family, and his desire to get laid. Enough.(less)
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