I really enjoyed the first book and I was a little worried about this one because of some other reviews I had read.
But, I did enjoy this book. It is vI really enjoyed the first book and I was a little worried about this one because of some other reviews I had read.
But, I did enjoy this book. It is very different from the previous one though, and that may be what some readers found problematic for them. For me, I liked the exploration of other parts of this world and the challenges that Matt has to face now that he is the Lord of Opium....more
This was a very informative read. I have had it on my shelf for awhile but it seemed a bit intimidating. It actually was not. However, it is probablyThis was a very informative read. I have had it on my shelf for awhile but it seemed a bit intimidating. It actually was not. However, it is probably more useful as an encyclopedia or reference book than it is needed to be read straight through. I'll definitely be keeping this on a shelf close by when I'm writing my fantasy novels!...more
My students really enjoyed this textbook (as much as enjoyment can be derived from a Composition textbook). They thought the explanations were clear aMy students really enjoyed this textbook (as much as enjoyment can be derived from a Composition textbook). They thought the explanations were clear and well-explained.
It was a bit on the lengthy side for them at times (so they lost momentum towards the end of some reading assignments), but I can fix that by assigning it in smaller chunks.
I was especially appreciative of the explanations about argument and the details of argument structure - it really helped the students to grasp the idea and to "copy" the form in their own papers.
It was interesting to have an associated Tumblr site as well. I used a few of the posts along with the reading to encourage additional thought and discussion. I'm not exactly sure how to plan ahead for a semester reading schedule with this (except to use what I already used once), but I'm sure it is possible....more
This was a fast and fun read. It had me second-guessing myself about whether the main character was really suffering schizophrenia or not. And while DThis was a fast and fun read. It had me second-guessing myself about whether the main character was really suffering schizophrenia or not. And while Dan set up the possibility for fantastic possibilities (meaning fantasy or sci fi elements) early on (and much better than in the first Serial Killer book), it left other possibilities open so that the plot and conflicts weren't cliche.
And so, on to the review.
Plot: Michael Shipman has paranoid schizophrenia and is forced into a mental hospital. But he worries about who is pursuing him and if they are actually real. To complicate matters, he is being tied to a string of gruesome serial killings and he has lost his memory of the past 2 weeks, right when they started.
Setting: The setting is Chicago. Which is interesting to me because of having read The White City fairly recently, with its serial killer. Much of the book takes place in the Powell mental hospital. The descriptions of the setting are not too intrusive and are just enough to give a sense of where he is and what he's looking at (or thinks he's looking at). The setting does change eventually - so that we get to experience the "Hollow City" (however, the content suggests more than just one meaning of the place, which deepens the mystery and the psychological binds).
Characters: The main character is Micheal, who we spend most of the book with in his POV. Talk about unreliable narrator! But it is interesting and keeps the suspense high. There are some other characters, none of whom we're ever sure are real: from the FBI guys to the girlfriend (Lucy) to the former psychiatrist (Dr. Vanek) to the night nurse. They are all different and interesting.
Conflict: The main conflict is in us as readers deciding if Michael is perceiving actual reality or if they are just delusions or paranoia. Then, the rest of the conflict is about Michael's struggle with going back and forth himself on what is reality. Then, there is the conflict of his being implicated in some serial murders that he is not sure himself about whether he might have committed them. Lots and lots of really good conflict that just keeps coming and twisting and keeping the story going so that I didn't want to put it down at all.
Text: The writing was tight and the foreshadowing and expectations were nicely set up....more
This was a nice easy read. And very enjoyable. Ayers' style is funny and engaging and her self-deprecating wit makes it easy to like her and to believThis was a nice easy read. And very enjoyable. Ayers' style is funny and engaging and her self-deprecating wit makes it easy to like her and to believe, like her, that if someone that that can do it, then so can I!
I saw lots of myself in this book - in things that I've done or thought over the course of the last several years as I've started racing and competing.
And I really must acknowledge the camaraderie she points out among the "back of the pack-ers" because I hadn't noticed it explicitly before but looking back, now I see it. And I can appreciate it all the more now (and into the future).
This is not really a "guide" in the sense that you can take the points she makes and apply them to your own racing. But it is a guide in gaining confidence in yourself and in appreciating the journey....more
I know it is unconscionable that I had not read this paragon of fantasy before now. And luckily, my family heard my plaintive cries of woe, and giftedI know it is unconscionable that I had not read this paragon of fantasy before now. And luckily, my family heard my plaintive cries of woe, and gifted me this book for Christmas. For which, I promptly made amends of my oversight within a fortnight.
And I am very glad that I did! This was a fun book and an easy read.
Plot: The gist of this story is a kind of origins story for the person, Ged, who was to become the greatest sorcerer in all of Earthsea. We learn his early, lowly beginnings and the quickly recognized seed of great power within him. In mage school, hungry to learn and yet also very competitive and selfish, he accidentally unleashes dark power upon the world. The rest of the book is about his resulting humbling and his attempts to set right this dangerous wrong.
Setting: The setting is basically the whole of the world called Earthsea, which consists of many islands of various sizes and lots of lots of sea around them. Over the course of the short book, we get to see several of them through Ged's eyes and there are hints of other places in the world that we will get to explore in subsequent books in this series. It is a relatively small world, but there are lots of little differences among each island's peoples, which makes for some fun settings and discussions. we go from the cool pool where Ged becomes a man to the great school of Mages and its magical flora and fauna to a mysterious castle in a deserted plain to a little hut on a small fishing village to the shores of a dragon horde to the vast sea where Ged must sail through death's threshold.
Character: Ged is characterized perfectly as a normal kid who is full of ambition. There is much to love in his care of friends and animals and in his relationships with those he respects. There is also much to worry about in his impetuousness and pride. He is humanized in this story, in other words. He isn't just some all-powerful wizard with no depth, as we often see in other stories (i.e. Gandalf - although to be fair, he isn't the heart of the story and doesn't need to be). Other characters are just as endearing, especially Vetch, his best friend. Ogion, the wizard who patiently lets him learn the lessons he needs but also tells him truths that he needs to hear. Even Jasper, his nemesis, is interesting and real and not just some cardboard evil cutout. I hope to see him again in other stories. And, very interesting also, is the fact that the skin colors of the characters are not emphasized much, but that they are mainly various shades of brown and black, thereby turning the classic white hero model on its head (this book was first published in 1968).
Conflict: I've already talked about the main conflict here - Ged's fight against the evil shadow. And there are other conflicts - with himself, with the barbarians who attack his home, with an old "friend" and some ancient magic, with Jasper, with some dragons, and with nature. What isn't here is the traditional conflict inherent in war and fighting and male aggression. Although Ged is male and many of the characters are male, they don't go around picking fights and getting into brawls or wars. Again, Le Guin turns the conventions of fantasy on their head and makes an intriguing tale.
Text: The book reads like it is being told around a campfire. It has the pacing and the tone of an adventure tale and origin story where mainly just the exciting and important bits are explained. And it works extremely well. So we get lots of details about his voyage to the mage school, but then only the highlights of his actual studies. I am not exactly sure, even after having read it, how she pulled that off. I think it had to do with the use of clipped sentences (like if someone was speaking) and simple but descriptive wording. This deserves another read sometime if I want to mimic that style in my own work!...more
I remember the basics of how World War I started from learning it in high school. The whole murder of the Archduke thing, and then the general makeupI remember the basics of how World War I started from learning it in high school. The whole murder of the Archduke thing, and then the general makeup (from a country perspective) of the Allies and the Central Powers. But that is really it. I never really understood how that one murder brought about the war, and I never understood the steer volume of lives lost in that war, nor the extent of the fighting on several fronts. So I can say that I learned a great deal from having read this book. And it was not like a textbook or some dry tome of facts - it was actually enjoyable to read.
The author gives lots of endnotes indicating the sources of his research and the reasoning used about causes and events, so we are always clear on the "facts" and the things that are mainly speculation. Keegan is very fair in his assessments as well, offering multiple perspectives and leaving off when he doesn't know something.
I also appreciated his analysis at the end of the book where he kind of sums everything up and points toward the potential for World War II (indeed, he sees it as a kind of continuation of this first war)....more
I think this was a free book through Amazon Prime reading, so I gave it a chance without knowing much about it or the author. I was pleasantly surprisI think this was a free book through Amazon Prime reading, so I gave it a chance without knowing much about it or the author. I was pleasantly surprised.
I would categorize this as YA fiction. It had the typical tropes of a love triangle and petty teen girls. It had the hero's tasks and journey to discover their powers. But it was not just a knockoff of every other story. It was a little tedious and tough to get through in the first third or so of the story as the protagonist comes to learn her powers and to learn about her new friends and responsibilities. But after that, the action really picked up and the challenges they faced were interesting and different, yet strangely inevitable given the powers and personalities. But I was rooting for the team by the end and wanted them to succeed, so it did draw me in enough....more
This was recommended to me by my counselor and it was excellent. It's a definite must-read for anyone in a relationship.
I liked how he explained eachThis was recommended to me by my counselor and it was excellent. It's a definite must-read for anyone in a relationship.
I liked how he explained each principle and gave several examples from his experiences running the "love lab." There were also lots of exercises to help with those principles.
This book is not just for those who are having marriage or relationship struggles; I feel like the information and ideas presented here are helping me to create an even stronger base and connection with my fiancee. It also helps us feel even more confident as we head into our marriage....more
(I swear I wrote a review for this book at the time that I finished it. But since I obviously did not, this review will be a little generic).
This was(I swear I wrote a review for this book at the time that I finished it. But since I obviously did not, this review will be a little generic).
This was an incredibly interesting book. I don't think I started out this book with believing that animals were as smart as they actually are. But now I'm much smarter :)
It is interesting how people (historically) often don't want to ascribe "smartness" or intelligence to animals in some vain attempt (vain in both senses here) to prove that mankind is somehow superior or has some sort of leg up on the "lesser" species.
I knew some of the intelligence levels of animals (especially monkeys and apes) because of studies I've heard of, or even through movies such as the latest Planet of the Apes prequels (though obviously not real or scientific in nature). But I didn't know about a lot of the other animals that de Waal brings up and shares data about.
This was a fascinating book and very eye-opening. Made me appreciate the power of intelligence even more....more
This book is about the incredible journey of 9 college boys who worked to be in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in rowing.
The book focuses on Joe Rantz, oneThis book is about the incredible journey of 9 college boys who worked to be in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in rowing.
The book focuses on Joe Rantz, one member of that rowing crew, from his early beginnings through the Olympics. There are some side trips to Berlin and Hitler and his propoganda machine to help give context to the story.
I enjoyed reading about their journey and how they overcame so many different trials and problems to get to the Olympic stage.
There was a lot of information that the author has pieced together based on his interviews and research. And he did so rather well....more
Although this one took me awhile to get through, it had more to do with my schedule than with any deficiencies in the book. I did find that I wasn't aAlthough this one took me awhile to get through, it had more to do with my schedule than with any deficiencies in the book. I did find that I wasn't as drawn in as I would have liked, but that might have been because I took so long between readings.
I had no idea what to expect from this book. I only picked it up because I like bookstores and have thought about owning one.
The title character, AJ Fikry, runs said bookstore and is dealing with the death of his wife at the onset of the book.
This is a book about new beginnings and about how books can draw people together.
There are some interesting insights into the book selling world, which I hope are true :)
There are inside jokes for book nerds in the form of AJs commentary on several literary works (presented on a page at the start of each chapter). He is a book snob, but it was funny to read some of his thoughts on the "classics" of literature....more
I wish I would have been able to read this book along with my bookclub members because I found it intriguing and would love to have talked about it inI wish I would have been able to read this book along with my bookclub members because I found it intriguing and would love to have talked about it in a group. Instead, I'm about a year behind and have to just leave my own opinions here without discussion.
The book is set in an unspecified future where human cloning is possible, where opium is the drug of choice coming out of what is currently northern Mexico, and where hovercars exist. In contrast to this, there is still superstition from some and longing for the "good ol' days" from others. The main character in the book is Matt, who is a clone of El Patron, the de facto ruler of Opium.
And, a majority of the book takes place in Opium on the estate of El Patron. The setting is described very well, so that it is easy to picture the estate and the way that El Patron keeps things like they were hundreds of years ago. The view we see is limited to Matt's perspective, so it starts very narrow at first while he is kept in a small hut and then a small room on the estate, but gradually widens as he is able to explore and as get ages.
The main plot involves Matt learning who he is and how to live in his world. In many ways, it is a coming-of-age story. But it also explores cloning (of course), slavery, love, and sacrifice. I was especially surprised by the twist revealed toward the end about El Patron. But then it all made sense, so the weaving of hints throughout was masterfully done.
Matt sees lots of conflict in his so-far short life. He is threatened by a house keeper and doctor, El Patron's power-hungry family and especially one boy, dangerous bodyguards, those wh0 would use him for their own benefit, and others. His intelligence, training, and personality (inherited from El Patron, a ruthless and evil man) supply lots of opportunity for conflicts to develop in the story. Matt's survival is at stake through much of the book, and that drives things forward at an increasingly escalated pace, which helps to keep the reader engaged. I had a harder and harder time putting the book down as I got more and more into the story.
The characters all felt very real to me. In fact, I want to get the next book ASAP so I can keep reading about them. I really enjoyed Matt, Tam Lin, Maria, and Chacho, to name a few. They all felt so different and quirky in their own ways.
The writing was clear. I enjoyed the interspersal of Spanish words throughout the book. I also loved the metaphors and similes used in describing things. They were very fresh and evocative.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, especially since it didn't appear to have been written by Rowling herself, but I did enjoy it and was ablI wasn't sure what to expect with this book, especially since it didn't appear to have been written by Rowling herself, but I did enjoy it and was able to get into it after all.
First, anyone who picks this up should know that it is not a novel. It is a script for a stage production of a story. And the play has already been performed (some details are in the back of the book).
Setting: The story is set in modern-day England, with the addition of magic, of course. It is many years after Harry and his gang have defeated Voldemort. They've gotten married and had kids. This story involves a couple of those kids.
Plot: The main plot revolves around the relationship between 2 children (trying not to give anything away here) and the idea of time turners. There are a couple side plots involving parent-child relationships, as well as with Harry and his scar.
Characters: The new characters are defined a bit through dialogue and mainly through their actions (this is a play after all). Because of that, a lot of things that would have been internal dialogue in a novel are spoken out loud or to other people in a "I'm wondering about xyz" sort of way. It works for the medium.
Conflict: The main conflict is centered on living up to parental expectations and points to exactly who the "cursed child" is (audience awareness of this fact shifts dynamically throughout) or whether it is multiple people. The main point being to cure/lift the curse and ensure peace and happiness for all (or most).
Text: Since this is a script, it is difficult to evaluate the text in comparison to novel expectations. It would be easier if I had heard it aurally or seen it performed. The dialogue seemed to flow naturally and the scene breaks were appropriate. I'm not sure it followed a standard 3 Act format, but I wasn't paying that close of attention to it....more
I usually see the movie after reading the book, so this was an interesting experience.
I enjoyed the book even though I "knew" what was going to happenI usually see the movie after reading the book, so this was an interesting experience.
I enjoyed the book even though I "knew" what was going to happen. I was pleased to get additional insight and watch the main character go through even more trials than I experienced in the movie (not that the movie was bad or should have included those things - different media formats have different requirements).
The writing was easy to follow and the ideas were easy for me to understand, despite being fairly well in the camp of hard sci-fi. So I appreciated that.
I wanted more when the book was done, which is usually a good thing. In this case, part of it stemmed from a very short denouement. But mostly, the characters and ideas were just so enjoyable that I wanted to keep reading....more
I purchased this volume because a friend of mine had a story in it!
Since this is a bunch of short stories, I won't give the in-depth commenting and reI purchased this volume because a friend of mine had a story in it!
Since this is a bunch of short stories, I won't give the in-depth commenting and review that I normally give to novels.
I did really enjoy reading each story. They were all so different and interesting.
My ulterior motive in reading this volume was so that I could learn how to write better short stories. I still have much to learn. Perhaps my ideas are just to big and I can't get them down to a "short" level. Or perhaps I just like to ramble and need to be more succinct.
I truly recommend this volume, and any other others, to those who are writers and who are trying to break in. These are new and upcoming writers who are being judged by professionals....more
It was very interesting to read about Stockton's experiences and to get a little behind-the-scenes look at all the Jazz players I remember from the "gIt was very interesting to read about Stockton's experiences and to get a little behind-the-scenes look at all the Jazz players I remember from the "good ol' days."
He didn't really share a lot about his feelings or personal experiences, nor did he spend time explaining himself. So this is not that kind of autobiography. Instead, this autobiography is more about looking at the people and events that "assisted" him in living his dreams and becoming a basketball icon.
It is also a bit about his commitment and drive to be the best that he could be.
And, he includes some of his own ideas and opinions about various things from basketball rules and play to nature. And while I don't necessarily agree on everything he says (for example, I disagree that flouride is a toxic chemical. It is not, except in very very very high concentrations, which is true for lots of things), I appreciated getting to delve a little into his mind and thoughts because he was so reserved and quiet and humble when he was in the spotlight.
At the end of the book, Stockton talks about how his purpose in writing this book was that he hoped it inspires or encourages someone to never give up. I imagine that many people will get that from reading it. Personally, it spoke more to me about the importance of hard work. ...more
I had expected some sort of horror novel based on the author, but this was really sci-fi -- about time travel. There were some horror elements (violenI had expected some sort of horror novel based on the author, but this was really sci-fi -- about time travel. There were some horror elements (violence and psychological), but nothing that I wouldn't expect in this genre.
I did enjoy the story, despite taking so long to read it. The first several hundred pages took me a long time to get through because I just wasn't getting into the story. It seemed to drag on and had just so much information. Looking back, I see that it was because King was focused more on the idea than on the results. I wanted to get to the event (for this story, it is obvious from the cover and the title that the event is the assassination of JFK) and the results of that, rather than the concept of time travel and one man's psychological dealings with it.
Setting: The story starts in New England in the current day. Not much information is really given about the area, apart from the restaurant and Al's house. Gradually we move back in time to the 1960s or so, and the setting moves to Dallas, Texas and surrounding areas.
Character: We mainly get to know the protagonist, Jake Epping, and some people from a small town in Texas. We also get to know a little about Lee Harvey Oswald from the perspective of Jake. King does a good job with giving us lots of characterization for all the main characters, as well as for some of the minor ones (which makes it difficult to know who to remember and who you can forgot and so the names start to blur together).
Plot: The plot is simple - Jake needs to find out if Oswald acted alone (hello conspiracy theorists) and stop the assassination of JFK in order to make the world better. The idea being that things went bad from that point because his successor didn't handle things well as president, and so forth. The catch is that he has to live in the 1960s for a few years and he can't return once he goes back to his own time because when he does, everything resets to exactly how it was and he'd have to do it all again.
There are other subplots involving love and charity and gambling (he's from the future after all - hello Back to the Future, part 2). I won't go into detail on those in order to avoid spoilers, though.
Conflict: The first few times Jake goes through the time bubble, he tries to change a couple little events to see if he can do it and how to get things to come out the way he wants. The butterfly effect is front and center throughout the entire book. The conflicts come between him and "time" (or the past), which resists change). These show up as conflicts with nature or with inanimate objects as well as with people. And, of course, the conflict of finding out about Oswald and preventing JFKs assassination.
Text: The writing was extensive. I'm not sure King knows how to write a short novel ;-) Once I got to the part I was interested in, I was able to really fly through the pages, so that tells me that the dialog felt real and the connections from scene to scene were appropriate and useful. There was a lot of explanation in the beginning of the novel, which also helped me to breeze through the end of the book without needing more explanation. So, that worked out well for him.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. If you are having trouble getting trouble getting through the beginning, as I did, just know that it will get easier and better....more
I had never even heard of the Pern books before last year, although I am not sure why. McCaffrey published these books in the 70s, and so I would haveI had never even heard of the Pern books before last year, although I am not sure why. McCaffrey published these books in the 70s, and so I would have been able to find them when I started voraciously reading Fantasy around 1985. Perhaps it was because I mainly focused on Dragonlance at the time. In any event, this series of books sets up quite an intriguing world.
This volume is a compilation of the first 3 books in the series: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon.
Pern is a world where Dragons and humans work together to protect the land from what is called Thread, a burrowing silvery life form thing that seems to come from an orbiting celestial object. The technology is similar to what we think about as medieval, with some interesting additions that come from the "ancients" who seem to have known more about technology than the current inhabitants of Pern. However, I didn't find that the setting felt medieval or a copy of what I read in dozens of other fantasy settings. The idea of a dragon home (weyr) and government system that supported them and the strange mating rituals of the dragons and riders, were quite interesting and provided plenty of conflict and tension. Since Pern is a whole world (although we only get to see the northern most part for most of the volume), there are lots of different regions and climates to experience so that it feels like there is always something more to see or learn.
The main characters threaded through most of the volume are F'Lar (a dragon rider), Lessa (a weyrwoman), Master Robinton (a Harper in the tradition of gypsy with a dash of court jester and a side of master manipulator), and (eventually) Jaxom (a future Lord of Ruatha Hold). I can't say too much about them each without delving into spoilers, but I will say that they are each well developed and they grow and learn. It is nice to be able to follow their progress and cheer them on.
There are lots of mysteries and conflicts between Holds and Weyrs to keep things very interesting. I will say that it took me awhile to get into the last book in the set because it felt much slower and more focused on political issues rather than action and danger like the first two. But, I definitely felt myself looking for opportunities to read more and more as I neared the end of the book. I was fascinated by the planet and the discoveries they were making as I tried to anticipate what they might find or how it would impact the inhabitants of the planet.
I am curious about the rest of the series - I just don't know if I am going to start adding them in now or wait until I've gotten my "To Read" pile a little smaller first....more
This was another book club selection. We were supposed to read it in the month of October. However, I found it very difficult to get into it and to beThis was another book club selection. We were supposed to read it in the month of October. However, I found it very difficult to get into it and to be interested. I think the main problem is that I was expecting this to be more about the devil/murderer (see the bigger font on the cover) and less about the white city (Chicago's world fair), but it was completely the opposite.
It is not that the writing was bad or the information was boring. In fact, the descriptions were generally well done and I could "see" the white city come to fruition in my mind's eye. I just didn't necessarily care. I kept wanting to read more about the murderer or even why the boat captain refused to send Burnham's message to Millett. The information about Holmes, the serial killer, was frustratingly minuscule compared to the mounds of data given about the fair. I felt like I only got tiny glimpses and no real story.
Therefore, it took me until now to finally wade through it and finish the book. I'm not sorry I read it. I'm just disappointed that it was not 2 separate books (or, rather, a book and a pamphlet)....more
I chose this as the book club selection for our group. I based my decision off of a review by Orson Scott Card, because I find that we have similar taI chose this as the book club selection for our group. I based my decision off of a review by Orson Scott Card, because I find that we have similar tastes.
While my book club had problems with it (as did I), I did enjoy it and the discussion that it created.
Plot: The gist of this suspense novel is that Evie is called on to help her mother, who is quite old and who has apparently gone on a massive alcohol overdosing binge. Evie meets the nice older lady next door, who seems to be losing her memory. But someone also seems to be trying to get rid of all the old people in the area. Or is it just in the old lady's mind? The plot was fairly straightforward, with not a lot of twists or turns. My book group thought the ending was too obvious. I had to explain the difference between mystery and suspense, dramatic irony and tension. The plot, to me, wasn't a problem because this is an Idea story and that is what interested me.
Setting: The story is set in the imaginary location of Higgs Point, roughly around Clason Point in the Bronx. Most of the description was spent on the dilapidated home of Evie's mother and the contrast with the neighbor's home. Scenery was mostly just background and I felt like this could have been placed just about anywhere. The setting didn't get in the way of the story (except for the idea of a huge basement holding carnival rides on a point of land where the water table would have been fairly close to the surface).
Characters: Most of my book group felt like the characters were all really one-dimensional, with no complexity and no character arcs. There was the obvious bad guy, the jerk boyfriend, the independent and fierce protagonist, the perfect sister, and the nice old lady. While the characters are rather obviously typed, I found that I liked Evie and the old lad, Mina. And I thought that they were developed well through the story.
Conflict: The conflict of growing old and being taken care of and independence were all intertwined here in a lovely way for me. It reminded me of King Lear. The idea that old people are and can be taken advantage of, has some interesting turns. And while this kind of topic might not appeal to a younger crowd, it is relevant in the way we treat each other and the cultural expectations (or lack thereof) of respect for elders.
Text: The writing was unobtrusive and clear....more
This month's book club selection was a strange one. But it was also a fun and quick read.
Saga is a graphic novel (meaning that there are lots of pictuThis month's book club selection was a strange one. But it was also a fun and quick read.
Saga is a graphic novel (meaning that there are lots of pictures and not as many words). It is also graphic because it is bloody and has some swearing and naked aliens. So, this book will not be for everyone.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. There is some good characterization going on here and the conflicts are meaningful (but not heavy-handed)....more
Another bookclub selection. I have only ever seen the movies, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I also didn't realize that this was Fleming's first bookAnother bookclub selection. I have only ever seen the movies, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I also didn't realize that this was Fleming's first book (nor did I realize that he wrote what became Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).
I may read other later books in the series, but this was definitely a first crack at writing. There were some interesting events and the Bond character was larger than life. But, the descriptions were sometimes overly stylized for my taste and the focus on minutiae made the book hard to get through at times.
Still, it was a fun read and very interesting in how different from the more modern versions of the movies that I've seen....more
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