Doug Lewars's Blog, page 43

The City in The Middle of The Night

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This isn't a bad book but it's not a page-turner either. I had a problem with the pacing and I don't quite know why. Each scene moved forward pretty well but the overall effect was one of tedium. Perhaps part of the problem is this isn't the type of book I would normally read. I selected it entirely at random from a library shelf because I was in a hurry. Had I read the blurbs more carefully, I might have noticed the author is the winner of numerous literary awards. That raises a caution for me as I've come to realize what I like in books and what award committees like are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

If you like character arcs and an investigation of the human psyche, I think you would enjoy this book. I don't like either of them. On the other hand, there is plenty of excitement which I do like but it isn't focused. The theme is basically survival in complex societies on a distant planet with an exceedingly hostile climate. Lots of incidents happen but there isn't an overarching goal unless it's just survival itself. It could be sort of a slice-of-life in an alien environment full of dangers and I suppose that might work but somehow the whole thing didn't quite work for me.

I've seem some suggestion this is a YA novel but I doubt many young people would have the patience to persevere through it. There were times I almost gave up but I tend to be stubborn and once I start a book it's very seldom I walk away before the end.

The story is told through the eyes of two protagonists each of which has a friend who is important to the story so we get to know four character is some depth. Only Alyssa was likeable and she tended to remain of the periphery of the tale.

This is sort of an LGBT book but the author keeps it in the background as opposed to flaunting the relationships the way many authors do. Even if you don't like LGBT books - and I don't - this one is okay. In addition, the author is pushing a politically correct ideology but she doesn't throw it in your face ... well, maybe a bit near the end ... but for the most part she stays well away from the soapbox so it isn't offensive.

I think if you find yourself attracted to character studies, feelings and relationships you might enjoy this one. On the other hand, if you like a good rip-roaring sci-fi adventure, take a pass.



View all my reviews

Fortune and Glory

Fortune and Glory: Tantalizing Twenty-Seven by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I've seen a number of criticisms suggesting Fortune and Glory is the same as most of the other books in the series. This is true but it shouldn't be a criticism. You don't read books in this series for their originality. You read them for fun. I suspect Ms. Evanovich has a generic template she uses to plot out her books. She is the MacDonald's of authors. It doesn't matter which location of the fast-food restaurant you choose, you can be certain the product will to identical to that of all the others. Likewise, you can rely on consistency in the Stephanie Plum series. If you want originality, read something else.

This is a well-written fast-paced novel involving a treasure hunt and some truly villainous characters. The bounty hunting part was fairly low key. At the end of the book, there is a note suggesting a new character, Gabriela Rose will return in the next book. Frankly I think this is a mistake. She was certainly a useful character getting Stephanie out of a couple of jams; however, if I was going to bring a character forward it would be George Potts. He has enough neuroses to compete with every other character in the series. Not only did he move the plot forward but he did it with humour.

If you like the series in general, you'll enjoy this book.



View all my reviews

The Secret Chapter

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Some fine world building coupled with a fast-moving plot make this an excellent book. It is however, part of a series - not a continued series but a series nonetheless. As a result, some things are a little confusing for a first-time reader. I will likely go back and read volume 1 just to get a better feel for the dynamics of this world - or these worlds because the author makes use of parallel worlds.

I also liked the protagonist being a librarian as I like those librarians I know and they might enjoy taking on the role of a hero.

The title isn't exactly a misnomer but perhaps a bit confusing. Yes the plot involves obtaining a book with a chapter not found in other volumes of the literary work; however, the chapter, when eventually revealed, has little if any bearing on the story.

Don't look for much in the way of character arcs. When in a series, character arcs ten to develop over several volumes, not just one. This is a good rip-roaring fantasy novel with a number of plot twists to keep things moving right along.




View all my reviews

Hollow Kingdom

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Do NOT expect logical consistency in this book. The author is writing fantasy and in her world she can do exactly what she wants whether it is consistent or not. It took me a few winces to get past this but once I realized the author had clearly decided to have events happen whether they made perfect sense or not I relaxed and enjoyed the book. For authors, this is a marvelous reminder that we're writing fiction, not fact, and can make up anything we want.

The protagonist, S.T. is a talking, intelligent crow, raised from a fledgling by a human and not only has acquired a great deal of human knowledge but argues he *is* a human, at least by his standards. This is a post-apocalyptic world in which most people are dead and those still alive are reduced to a sort of zombie status in which they try to seek out technology as opposed to brains.

He sets out on a quest to find humans who are still alive and not reduced to zombie status. In the end he succeeds - sort of - but the author has no intention of explaining how this ending came about.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. For the most part it was well paced although some of the adventures seemed a little repetitious. As a character, I found S.T.'s petulance rather trying although I suppose, perhaps, crows lack patience. In any event I think I can recommend this one to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic fantasy. Just don't take it too seriously.



View all my reviews

Total Power

Total Power by Kyle Mills

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoiler ***

Some comments I've seen suggest this isn't one of Kyle Mills better books. I have no grounds for comparison as this is the only one I've read; however, if his other books were better, they must have been spectacular because this was a great read. This is not a suspense novel or whodunit. You learn very quickly who the villain is and, shortly thereafter, who the hero is. It there were any character arcs they were so carefully hidden I never noticed them. This is a thriller pure and simple. The bad guys knock out the entire US power grid and, with the aid of a cyber attack, keep it down. Without power there industry shuts down as does transportation. Even aid from other countries is ineffective because modern docs are all mechanized. The days of people manually unloading ships is long gone. People are starving which leads to rioting, looting and gangs roaming empty streets. The global economy is in chaos. Our hero must find the villain and force from him the knowledge to rebuild. This doesn't happen in quite the manner you might expect, but, of course, it happens because this is a thriller, not a dystopian novel. If you like action, excitement, a first-class villain and the entire world hanging in the balance, this is the book for you.



View all my reviews

Tiny Tales

Tiny Tales: Stories of Romance, Ambition, Kindness, and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

The book is aptly named. It isn't so much for reading as for snacking. Most of the stories are only three or four pages long and there are plenty of one-page four-panel comics. You can open it anywhere because there isn't any real continuity. True, the author breaks it into sections but this doesn't seem to matter much. Don't expect to 'get into' this book. Pick it up, read a few things and put it down again. Nevertheless, the characters are quirky, the plots interesting and the author witty. I enjoyed it and I think others will as well.



View all my reviews

The Lake Wobegon Virus

The Lake Wobegon Virus by Garrison Keillor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible spoilers ***

I loved this book. I think more older readers will enjoy it than younger ones because Garrison Keillor is writing from the perspective of someone who has gone through live, experienced both its upturns and downturns, and combines his story with a bit of nostalgia - actually a lot of nostalgia. However this book is far from maudlin. I wish I could write satire as well as he does. The characters are charming, the pacing well done and the descriptions of both the town and times gone by helped me remember things from my own past.

I think perhaps I would have enjoyed it even more had he dwelt a little more on the virus. He had all the analogies nicely in place. There were those who demanded cheese at any price, those who wanted to ban it, and the two factions seemed to break along political lines. Unfortunately nothing much happened and in the end life returned to normal. While it's a happy ending, it may be a tiny unrealistic in light of today's political climate. Anyway, I liked the book and I highly recommend it.



View all my reviews

Psycho by the Sea

Psycho by the Sea by Lynne Truss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*** Possible spoilers ***

This isn't quite literary slapstick but it certainly is farce and if you take your mystery novels seriously this isn't for you.

There are three policemen who comprise the core characters and, while they aren't the Keystone Cops, they're not far removed. Inspector Stein is often referred to as Inspector Idiot. Sergeant Brunswick received the moniker, Sergeant Stupid and that leaves Constable Twitten as the sole officer who has an ounce of intelligence. Unfortunately he is aptly named. In addition to being a twit, he is highly neurotic.

So there we have the police playing a comedic role while two organizations of bad guys set about trying to destroy one another. Not surprisingly the lesser of the evil bad guys prevails.

The pacing is crisp, the plot twists sufficiently bizarre to maintain interest, and plenty of subplots abound. Still, somehow it felt a little flat. Writing humour is quite difficult and I have to give the author credit for producing an offbeat story but it didn't quite jell for me. I think the policemen were a little too bland and they were the principle characters. In addition I found the work 'bally' overused to the point of being annoying. If you want a bit of light reading this one is okay but I don't think I'll bother with the others in the series.



View all my reviews

The Grim Pig

The Grim Pig by Charles Gordon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

If you like literature with lots of angst and human suffering, forget this book. This book is for those who like a bit of satire and a lot of pure fluff. I found it absolutely delightful. The author is on a par with Tom Sharpe in terms of wit. The story takes place in a newspaper office but there, any relationship to reality pretty much ends. The chief editor believes in aliens are among us and wants stories corroborating his belief. It helps the owner also is convinced of their existence. All the writers and editors are caricatures with idiosyncrasies magnified to the extreme. The protagonist is a cynical editor and former reporter who doesn't much like working and tries to find projects leading nowhere he can work on.

The pacing is excellent and the plot twists and turn unexpectedly. People looking for character arcs and a deeper insight into the human condition won't like this one. I'm not looking for either and loved it.



View all my reviews

The Subtweet

The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I enjoyed this book which came as a surprise since I thought I'd hate it. I read this in e-format on Overdrive and it was one of the TPL librarians' recommendations. In the past, what they've recommended and my taste in books are mutually exclusive, and, yes, I can see why they recommended it; however, the author was not heavy handed with her ideology. I don't mind authors including their beliefs and opinions in their works. Heaven knows I do it myself. What I resent is when an author confuses writing with sermonizing. This one didn't.

If you're looking for a book with fast pacing and a complex plot, this one isn't for you. It's about relationships and the subtle nuances which can occur between two people sometimes leading to misunderstandings. Such things can be magnified when people communicate via texts or social media.

The book wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I was initially hooked by the title and then the blurb suggested a social media backlash was involved. I wanted to figure out the technical details for including that sort of thing in a book. Yes there was a backlash but it was muted, not the sort of dogpiling I was looking for; nevertheless, I learned a few things. Indenting tweets seems to work as does changing fonts when writing texts. On the other hand, I'm still not sure how one might write a flame war and make it readable. On the other hand, if you're not a writer, this part is irrelevant.

The weakest part of the book was the ending. It seemed as if Vivek Shraya just gave up as some point and stopped writing. Still, some, (many?) readers like ambiguity in endings so this will appeal to them, just not me.

The book was well written and very well edited. I wouldn't describe it as a page-turner but if you like relationships and aren't looking for a complex plot I think you might enjoy it.



View all my reviews