Stan Morris's Blog, page 5
April 2, 2012
A Time to Blog
When is the right time to blog? The answer to this question escapes me, and so I find that it has been almost two months since I did an update. In the meantime, I have been to California, Texas and New Mexico. Traveling reminds me how many people live in a niche world, and how many of them believe that their world represents the majority as far as culture and political thinking are concerned. I probably was guilty of this also until I moved to Hawaii and realized that most people from other countries have a monolithic view of Americans. We are all "Yankees" and the idea that some Americans would take this label as an affront mystifies them. As I learned the differences between the different groups from Japan, I began to see that there are also sharp differences between Americans in different locales.
February 4, 2012
Miscellaneous Thoughts
When I do get an tablet, one of the first books that I want to buy is "Stuck in Estrogen's Funhouse," by Shayna Gier. Another is "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard. Perhaps I can buy them if I win a $50 Amazon Gift Card from book blogger Kimberly over at http://bloominreviews.blogspot.com/20...
January 23, 2012
How Firm a Foundation, five stars
I finished How Firm a Foundation by David Weber. I get the feeling that he is putting more of his self into this series than he is putting into the Honor Harrington series. Perhaps he is getting tired of that one. In any event, his work in this series is quite satisfying. Although he does offer too much information (as he often does), at least he tempers his description of the military gadgetry somewhat. There is more info about how to sail a ship than necessary, and sometimes you get the feeling that he has an editor somewhere tearing his/her hair out due to the wordy wordy wordy manuscript and the simplistic dialogue, but he is imminently readable and usually leaves the reader anticipating the next book in the series.
January 19, 2012
Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz
I wrote a review of this book and gave it five stars. This was one of the most satisfying books by her that I have read in a while. I like all of them, I just like this one better than most. In fact, of all her books, I can think of only a couple that I would have given less than three stars. I am prejudiced, I admit, for she sent me a book, long ago, after I can written her agent asking for info about where I could locate book number two of the Guinevere Jones series. Book number two showed up in my mailbox a couple of weeks later. She warned me that books three and four would be hard to find, and she was right. Eventually, I paid about $25 to get book three, and I never bothered to buy book four. I wish someone would get the copyright to these four books and combine them into one hardback book, preferably after a quick update by Ms Krentz.
January 11, 2012
Storm Front
What do I say about this book? I liked it and I did not like it. Parts of it were very good and a few parts were so-so or even annoying. I did read it quickly; that's usually a good sign. Will I read the next book in the series? Maybe. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.
It is about a wizard who is on probation because of his actions in the past. He has a friend in the police department who needs help solving a paranormal murder. It is written in the first person. The tone is generally light with humor.
It is about a wizard who is on probation because of his actions in the past. He has a friend in the police department who needs help solving a paranormal murder. It is written in the first person. The tone is generally light with humor.
December 31, 2011
Various Books
I started five different Harlequins, and so far none of them have been particularly good. Some are downright bad. But in the mail today was a package containing "Storm Front," by Jim Butcher. I'm hoping for a good read.
December 25, 2011
A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber
I was prepared to be disappointed by this book because I had already read a briefer version. I was not disappointed at all, in fact this turned out to be a two day read. I received it on the 24th of December and finished it on Christmas Day. It was quite enjoyable. Weber's humor can be a little tedious, but that is vastly outweighed by the storytelling. For someone new to the Honor Harrington universe, this might be the best place to begin reading, for the story takes place years before Honor's time. Only a few other HH stories are in this category.
This is a first contact story about the meeting between a human and the treecats, and though it seems to be aimed at the YA audience, it was quite pleasing to this old man. I recommend it.
This is a first contact story about the meeting between a human and the treecats, and though it seems to be aimed at the YA audience, it was quite pleasing to this old man. I recommend it.
December 20, 2011
Now Reading "The Secrets of Rosa Lee"
I got this book as a gift from my sister-in-law. I like Jodi Thomas so I was glad to see it in the stack that came from Honolulu. So far, it's okay. Predicted rating is 3 stars. I got a bunch of other romances also. Hopefully, I'll find a 5 star book in the bunch.
December 14, 2011
The Next Always finished
Finished The Next Aways and posted a review. 4 stars. Now I'll get back to Empire. I've ordered several books so after the holidays, I'll have plenty to read. I still plan to reread the Harry Potter books and then the Twilight books. When will I have time to work on Julee Mackenzie and the First Officer, much less the Governor of Arslan?
December 12, 2011
The Next Always
I'm reading the new Nora Roberts book. It had some negative reviews, because of her association with the bookstore that is featured in the story, but I don't have any problem with this, and so far the story is a nice read.The Next Always
