Mini reviews


Sadly, due to depression I had no choice but to resign myself to the fact that I've fallen too far behind regarding my reviews. So much so that it became impossible for me to get back up to date.

So here are a few thoughts about each book.

- Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space 8.5/10:

Terrific space opera that sets the stage for so much more! Can't believe I waited this long to finally read it! Highly recommended!

- Jim Butcher's Skin Game 8.5/10:

Another great addition to the Dresden Files. A fine caper that opens the door for so much more.

- Jim Butcher's Peace Talks 8/10:

Everyone was super excited about this novel until they realized that it was just half of the book Butcher originally planned. Still good, but something's missing. Understandably.

- Stephen King's Misery 8/10:

Holy shit, a reread some 30 years later gave me a new appreciation for this one! Just an awesome and disturbing read!

- Jim Butcher's Battle Ground 7.5/10:

Biggest disappointment was realizing that we were not getting a second Dresden Files installment this year but the second half of Peace Talks. I hate the fact that urban fantasy demands shorter works, for had it been an epic fantasy title Peace Talks would have been published as a single novel. À la Memory of Light, the bulk of the book is one interminable battle that lasts for about 300 pages. There are some good stuff here and there and the ending is quite good, but it's mostly filler and very little killer.

- N. K. Jemisin's The City We Became 4/10:

Just awful. A veritable SJW manifesto. As bad as Goodkind's Faith of the Fallen, but at the other end of the socio-political spectrum. I had so high hopes for this book. . . Will not be reading the subsequent volumes.

- Margaret Atwood's The Testaments 8/10:

Not as bad as some make it out to be, and certainly not as good as others rave. The Booker prize??? Please! But it is a compelling and page-turning read, no question. Like the Breaking Bad movie, El Camino, my main gripe would have to be that this book brings very little to the dance. If anything, The Testaments is all about missed opportunities. The Handmaid's Tale raised so many questions, but its sequel answers none of them. I would have liked to know more about the colonies and life there, the wars with California and Texas, how Gilead is coping internationally, how they guard the vast border they share with Canada and why would everyone trying to escape would do it through New England instead of elsewhere. Yada yada yada.

Jeff Pearlman's Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL 8/10:

A gem of a book! Perfect for NFL fans!

5 commentaires:

Anonymous said...

Even an abbreviated review is awesome! You do a great job and like I said previously have introduced me to some of my favorite authors including Kameron Hurley and Joe Abercrombie. Thank you!


James from Ottawa

Unknown said...

Totally agree with you re Butcher's Battleground. It was a struggle for me to get through. It never really had the flow of a Dresden Files book, and the tone was off. I think trying to sustain the tension over so many pages was too complicated. I had read other reviews full of high praise,and I just couldn't buy those reviews. The ending redeemed the book, but in my eyes this was one of the weaker books.

erinalter said...

i'm sorry you're struggling these days. it is hard. but i wanted you to know, that even with sporadic or short reviews, you still remain one of my primary sources for new reading material.

so it is a hard season. the season will pass. and i'll still be here, eager to get inspired with a new read.

Oregon Dan said...

I'm happy to see you loved Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space! One of my all time favorites. But you know what I liked better? The next book in the series, Chasm City. I cant wait to see what you think of it.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the shortened reviews. Always find your analysis helpful in picking a new book.

I hope the clouds clear for you in the new year.