One of Scalzi's meatier books, it's a high concept sci-fi detective story about an FBI agent investigating a couple of murders surrounding a sport thaOne of Scalzi's meatier books, it's a high concept sci-fi detective story about an FBI agent investigating a couple of murders surrounding a sport that's played by people who are paralyzed in their own bodies, but control humanoid robots. Like most detective stories, I've already forgotten all of the twists and turns and if I pick up the next book in the series, I'll most likely be lost as to the particulars....more
Two things are true about this book. One: there's no way I wasn't going to buy it the second I heard of its existence. And two: there's no way I'd comTwo things are true about this book. One: there's no way I wasn't going to buy it the second I heard of its existence. And two: there's no way I'd come away from it thinking it did the source material justice. The thing about The Road is that it's the words that make it special. Most of it is plain jane "the man did this", "the man did that", but when McCarthy decides to write a special passage, man is it special.
The art in this book is really terrific. It's just that it lost the heart of the novel and all of the nuance without the prose. In this form, it became a fairly typical post-apocalypse story....more
My favorite thing is stumbling across a book with an interesting cover in the library and taking a wild chance on it. In my experience, it often turnsMy favorite thing is stumbling across a book with an interesting cover in the library and taking a wild chance on it. In my experience, it often turns out great! I had never heard of this author or the publisher before.
It’s a fever dream of a book, written by and featuring an immigrant to America from the Soviet Union. It’s one of those books where you’re not really sure what’s going on half the time but it’s enthralling nonetheless. It’s visceral and violent, brimming with lust and desperation. I’ve never read anything quite like it… maybe the closest thing is Ana Kavan’s Ice. Which I didn’t like very much, but I do like this. I like this very much. ...more
My son read this in his fourth grade class, so I figured I'd join in. Children's literature has gotten subtle and sophisticated! I thought this was soMy son read this in his fourth grade class, so I figured I'd join in. Children's literature has gotten subtle and sophisticated! I thought this was some kind of fantasy adventure, but it's a touching story about a kid whose family is going through a rough patch, is on the verge of homelessness, and how he deals with that trauma. I like it!...more
The Arrest was when everything powered by electricity, internal combustion, and gunpowder all stopped working. This is not a book about how or why thaThe Arrest was when everything powered by electricity, internal combustion, and gunpowder all stopped working. This is not a book about how or why that happened. It's a book about books, as many of Jonathan Lethem's are. And I love metafiction, but as a sideshow from the main novel. The characters and plot felt too thin to support the games Lethem wanted to play.
A quick, mostly enjoyable read, but I'll be forgetting this one real soon....more
A beautiful book that belongs on a shelf with The Little Prince and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it's essentially about two characters on a walk in theA beautiful book that belongs on a shelf with The Little Prince and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it's essentially about two characters on a walk in the woods together, getting to know each other and—in a very natural way—tackling some deep-seated philosophical issues.
"It doesn't bother you?" Dex said. "The thought that your life might mean nothing in the end?"
"That's true for all life I've observed. Why would it bother me?" Mosscap's eyes glowed brightly. "Do you not find consciousness alone to be the most exhilarating thing? Here we are, in this incomprehensibly large universe, on this one tiny moon around this one incidental planet, and in all the time this entire scenario has existed, every component has been recycled over and over and over again into infinitely incredible configurations, and sometimes, those configurations are special enough to be able to see the world around them. You and I—we're just atoms that arranged themselves the right way, and we can understand that about ourselves. Is that not amazing?"...more
This book strengthens my suspicion that every Southern author wants to be Cormac McCarthy. For the most part, the prose in this book is plain, not oveThis book strengthens my suspicion that every Southern author wants to be Cormac McCarthy. For the most part, the prose in this book is plain, not overly polished, and just does its job of telling the story, but you can tell when Joy tries to make a prosaic splash. For example, the last chapter of The Line That Held Us contains what can only be a tribute to the last chapter of McCarthy's Suttree.
Suttree: "Somewhere in the gray wood by the river is the huntsman and in the brooming corn and in the castellated press of cities. His work lies all wheres and his hounds tire not. I have seen them in a dream, slaverous and wild and their eyes crazed with ravening for souls in this world. Fly them."
The Line That Held Us: "Passing Harold's Grocery headed into Dillsboro, he saw hundreds of birds filling the sky, a cloud of buzzards shifting on thermals, their wings tilting back and forth to steady their wide-set whirling. He leaned low against the steering wheel to watch them as he crossed the bridge over Scotts Creek. He wondered if they would follow him, if they would always follow, and his heart knew the answer, that their work lies all where and their wings tire not."
It's thematically appropriate, too. Both of these passages are about a character just emerging from an existential and psychological crisis, having chosen to live despite their bleak view of the world and of life itself. The hounds, the buzzards... they're tools of death and you can sense them stalking you all the time, but hey... that's life.
The Line That Held Us is a straightforward thriller. A man is on a neighbor's land illegally, hunting out of season, and he shoots and kills a man he mistook for a boar. This, as you might imagine, unleashes a harrowing set of tribulations.
This all happens in the mountains of North Carolina, where I've spent some time, and it feels authentic. However, I wonder how much someone unfamiliar with the landscape would feel a sense of place in this book. Compared to authors I've read who write similar fiction (McCarthy, Peter Heller, James A. McLaughlin), there's very little sightseeing or description of the natural world surrounding the characters. This keeps the pages turning, but makes the experience feel a little shallower.
Overall, a thrilling, quick read. It would make a great indie thriller that I'd watch late at night after everyone else fell asleep. I plan to pick up Where All Light Tends to Go next....more
Possibly the best entry so far, this one focuses on the main characters of the Rocinante, and we get to see the story from all their perspectives, notPossibly the best entry so far, this one focuses on the main characters of the Rocinante, and we get to see the story from all their perspectives, not just Holden's. This book is the Storm of Swords of this series—while everything before it was good, this is when the series gets nuts; old rules are broken and the new rules are, thus far, unclear....more
I’ve never been to Yellowstone, but between this book and Ranger Confidential, I feel like I have. The bears, the wolves, the cliffs and the trout-ladI’ve never been to Yellowstone, but between this book and Ranger Confidential, I feel like I have. The bears, the wolves, the cliffs and the trout-laden streams, the soaring vistas and the snot-faced tourists. This one’s about a Park Ranger investigating a rash of poachings, and it gets complicated. This is a more complex work than the previous Peter Heller books I’ve read (The River and The Guide, which were pure thrillers.) The Last Ranger really has very little action in the main plot line of the story. There are many flashbacks and there’s a surprising amount of development and concern for the “bad guys”. As always, it’s very readable and there are some beautiful passages describing the natural beauty of Yellowstone. ...more
So, an audio adaptation of a comic series. Doesn't seem like it should work, does it? But it does, and really, really well. I loved the entire run of So, an audio adaptation of a comic series. Doesn't seem like it should work, does it? But it does, and really, really well. I loved the entire run of the comics, and this was a perfect alternative take on the story.
The reason you can take a strictly visual medium and turn it into a strictly aural medium comes down to the production value. This has great voice actors, great sound effects, and great mood music. It's never unclear what's going on, who's talking.
The thing is, though... I don't see how this will ever be a viable medium. Audiobooks are a big business now, but there is so much more involved in the production of something like this. Instead of one narrator standing in front of a microphone for a few days to record a novel, you've got 30-something actors doing different parts and a hell of a lot of editing and producing to do. It's more like recording a music album than an audiobook.
But Audible is giving this out for free at the moment, I suppose to gauge the amount of interest in this new medium. If people get excited about this like I am, I'm all for further productions like this. Bring on the audio comics!
Merged review:
So, an audio adaptation of a comic series. Doesn't seem like it should work, does it? But it does, and really, really well. I loved the entire run of the comics, and this was a perfect alternative take on the story.
The reason you can take a strictly visual medium and turn it into a strictly aural medium comes down to the production value. This has great voice actors, great sound effects, and great mood music. It's never unclear what's going on, who's talking.
The thing is, though... I don't see how this will ever be a viable medium. Audiobooks are a big business now, but there is so much more involved in the production of something like this. Instead of one narrator standing in front of a microphone for a few days to record a novel, you've got 30-something actors doing different parts and a hell of a lot of editing and producing to do. It's more like recording a music album than an audiobook.
But Audible is giving this out for free at the moment, I suppose to gauge the amount of interest in this new medium. If people get excited about this like I am, I'm all for further productions like this. Bring on the audio comics!...more
A good book that I would never recommend to anyone. It’s super dark, and not in a fun way. I read some reviews that called this a horror or suspense nA good book that I would never recommend to anyone. It’s super dark, and not in a fun way. I read some reviews that called this a horror or suspense novel, and that implies some kind of fun or excitement, but this is a very distressing book about trauma and the way it gets passed from person to person.
I don’t like the way the child was written, though. There’s a six year old kid who’s central to the story and it feels like the author hasn’t actually spent much time with children....more
It still gets four stars because it’s a fun, engaging read, but I see plenty of flaws here. I’m starting to see a pattern in this series. Book 1: escaIt still gets four stars because it’s a fun, engaging read, but I see plenty of flaws here. I’m starting to see a pattern in this series. Book 1: escape from a location where a biohazard is taking over. Book 2: escape from a location where another, scarier biohazard is taking over. Book 3: explore a new, unknown location, have to figure out a puzzle that immobilizes and endangers the characters. Book 4: explore a newer, more unknown location, have to figure out a trickier puzzle that immobilizes and endangers the characters. It’s repetitive, so they better keep this fun to keep me engaged. Also, tons of typos all over the place. Errors don’t usually bug me, but this smells of a rushed process to meet deadlines....more
Great story that has a mystery but is not a mystery. Beautifully told, maybe a little bleak, easy to read but not a shallow read. I need more fiction Great story that has a mystery but is not a mystery. Beautifully told, maybe a little bleak, easy to read but not a shallow read. I need more fiction like this in my life. ...more
A blend of memoir and nonfiction exploration of the National Park Ranger career. Did you know that Park Rangers are the most likely law enforcement ofA blend of memoir and nonfiction exploration of the National Park Ranger career. Did you know that Park Rangers are the most likely law enforcement officers to be assaulted? More than border patrol, more than FBI agents, more than beat cops. I’ve imagined a simple, peaceful life of a park ranger for myself a time or two; the point of this book is to disabuse you of the notion that being one is anything but simple or peaceful. ...more
A rollicking good time, and one of the only things that can hold my attention these days. It’s about as close to watching a tv show as you can get wheA rollicking good time, and one of the only things that can hold my attention these days. It’s about as close to watching a tv show as you can get when reading a book. Despite feeling like it treads a lot of the same ground as the first book, this had me riveted most of the time and the ending especially made me excited for the next in the series....more
I've been hot or cold on John Scalzi in the past. Sometimes he gets a bit juvenile, but usually he's fun. I found this book inconsequential and unexciI've been hot or cold on John Scalzi in the past. Sometimes he gets a bit juvenile, but usually he's fun. I found this book inconsequential and unexciting, though....more
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