Robert Appleton's Blog - Posts Tagged "defying-convention"
Books I've Read Recently
Another assorted lineup of genres, mostly novels this time. I'm a pretty slow reader, so this represents a few months' reading for me. I read four of these in St. Lucia.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Historical, Novella) – Extraordinary writing throughout, but the story went nowhere for me. A disappointment.
Stellarnet Rebel by J.L. Hilton (Sci-Fi, Novel) – Good romantic tale about alien refugees, cyberspace, and inter-species romance.
Under the Dome by Stephen King (Sci-Fi/Drama, Novel) – A brilliant scenario given the full-throttle King treatment, but the ensuing mystery couldn’t support a top-heavy cast of characters.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Sci-Fi/Thriller, Novel) – Snappy, tense, very exciting dystopian tale featured an admirable teenage heroine.
Congo by Michael Crichton (Adventure, Novel) – Sub-par Crichton tale tried to blend new tech and old-fashioned adventure, but missed the latter by a mile.
The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian (Historical, Novel) - Book #8 in the Aubrey/Maturin series, excellent once again.
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke (Sci-Fi, Novel) – Massive imagination on display from Clarke. The story took a while to get going but was well worth it.
BEYOND THE REEFS and Shark for Sale: Adventures in the Seychelles by William Travis (Autobiographical/Adventure) – Tremendous real-life account of an Englishman’s adventures in shell-diving and shark-hunting in 1950s Seychelles. I loved every word.
The Ghost Kings by H. Rider Haggard (Adventure, Novel) – The pulp romantic melodrama was hokey, but Haggard’s heroine became fascinating as the story took a dark fantasy turn in the second half.
Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape (Steampunk/Fantasy, Novel) – Charming, breezy blend of steampunk fantasy and romance, with a touch of The Sound of Music. Good fun.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (YA Fantasy, Novel) – Innovative and very entertaining children’s adventure featured all manner of Greek legends at play in modern-day USA.
Defying Convention by Abby Niles (Contemporary Romance, Novel) – Addictive geek romance novel set during a SFF fan convention. The comedy and characters meshed brilliantly.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Historical, Novella) – Extraordinary writing throughout, but the story went nowhere for me. A disappointment.
Stellarnet Rebel by J.L. Hilton (Sci-Fi, Novel) – Good romantic tale about alien refugees, cyberspace, and inter-species romance.
Under the Dome by Stephen King (Sci-Fi/Drama, Novel) – A brilliant scenario given the full-throttle King treatment, but the ensuing mystery couldn’t support a top-heavy cast of characters.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Sci-Fi/Thriller, Novel) – Snappy, tense, very exciting dystopian tale featured an admirable teenage heroine.
Congo by Michael Crichton (Adventure, Novel) – Sub-par Crichton tale tried to blend new tech and old-fashioned adventure, but missed the latter by a mile.
The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian (Historical, Novel) - Book #8 in the Aubrey/Maturin series, excellent once again.
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke (Sci-Fi, Novel) – Massive imagination on display from Clarke. The story took a while to get going but was well worth it.
BEYOND THE REEFS and Shark for Sale: Adventures in the Seychelles by William Travis (Autobiographical/Adventure) – Tremendous real-life account of an Englishman’s adventures in shell-diving and shark-hunting in 1950s Seychelles. I loved every word.
The Ghost Kings by H. Rider Haggard (Adventure, Novel) – The pulp romantic melodrama was hokey, but Haggard’s heroine became fascinating as the story took a dark fantasy turn in the second half.
Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape (Steampunk/Fantasy, Novel) – Charming, breezy blend of steampunk fantasy and romance, with a touch of The Sound of Music. Good fun.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (YA Fantasy, Novel) – Innovative and very entertaining children’s adventure featured all manner of Greek legends at play in modern-day USA.
Defying Convention by Abby Niles (Contemporary Romance, Novel) – Addictive geek romance novel set during a SFF fan convention. The comedy and characters meshed brilliantly.
