Tag Archives: Goodreads

The Grendel Review

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The Grendel AffairThe Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It was a light, fun, and fast. There was plenty of action and the characters were engaging. I didn’t feel put off by them. I could give or take the setting – lots of books use New York City as a backdrop. The nice thing was that it felt like the author had a solid concept of distance and the time it takes to get places (and if she really didn’t know NYC then very well done faking it for somebody that doesn’t know the city at all).

I have spent some time trying to figure out how not to compare this book to Monster Hunter International by Larry Correa and failed. I can’t escape the comparison. This book is decidedly lighter on the weapons chat and leans more toward the relationships, but they are very close to each other. If you liked MHI then you will probably like this book. If you like secret monster societies and clandestine quasi government operations with lots of action this book is for you.

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Weird Moon

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Chasing the MoonChasing the Moon by A. Lee Martinez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book all I could think was, “This is just weird…”. IF that sells a book for you, you’ll really enjoy this one. There are a large number of odd moments that sound like they’re directly from a nightmarish subconscious or a kids cartoon – and sometimes both at the same time.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any Monopoly money on you, would you, Number Five?”
She shook her head.
“Damn. The mole lords are not going to be happy about that.”
He withdrew into his room and shut the door without another word.

I want to sum the book up in some way that’s better than that, but I don’t think I can. The level of acceptance of those things changes throughout the book, but as I think about it there really isn’t much in the way of “action” at any point. There are lots of relationships and oddness, but this feels more like a character study than anything else.

Having said all that, I like the characters and the setting was amusing. The book moved at a smooth pace and was a very quick read. It was light and fun and if you’re into odd (hearing Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz in my head, ‘I, myself, am strange and unusual…’) then this book could be for you.

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Risen

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Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, #1)Red Rising by Pierce Brown
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was surprised to see this book on the Amazon list of 100 science fiction books for a lifetime. I wouldn’t have picked this book up on my own. I started it because it was one of the monthly selections from Watch The Skies. I’d say cover art would have helped, but I’m not sure what the picture would have needed to be (as it related to the story) to draw me in. There’s a lot that goes on inside the character’s head.

I bogged down in this book very early on. At the time of the meeting/discussion at the group I hadn’t made it past the main characters physical transformation. Many at the meeting said it became significantly more violent (and perhaps less interesting) after the transformation was complete.

I almost gave up, but I decided to see exactly what “more violent” actually meant. They were right – I’ve read some military fiction that didn’t contain the one on one kind of violence that was displayed later in this book. That didn’t bother me. The military / training exercise portions of the story are what carried me through to the end.

I understand why the book ended the way it did – and it is an end – but I’m not sure I’m drawn in enough to keep going in the series. I don’t overly like the character. The world building left me with questions that I’m sure would be answered but that alone won’t carry a series for me. It’s very important, but doesn’t stand alone.

In all I’d say the book was “OK”. I’m saying that here specifically because a 2 star rating (with the little pop up that says “It was OK”) makes it sound or feel like I actively disliked the book and that is not the case. In the end I think I was ‘whelmed’ – no over or under, just ‘whelmed’.

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Nobody

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Nobody Gets the Girl (Whoosh! Bam! Pow!, #1)Nobody Gets the Girl by James Maxey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don’t know that I would have picked this book up if it were not for WTS. I have stalled on a couple of things I’ve been reading lately but this book certainly didn’t have that issue. I bought it Thursday afternoon and had it finished by Friday afternoon. It was fast.

It actually felt like I wanted to see it as a graphic novel, not a novel. There were parts that felt like they were full page panels.

I came away from the story wondering if I liked the hero or not. I think he’s got a lot going for him, but he’s also got a lot going against him. He starts as a regular guy and ends up working with comic book style characters to “save the world” but he’s also a murderer. I look forward to a discussion about this one.

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Mars

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The MartianThe Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A friend of mine said she started this book one evening and couldn’t put it down. I should have listened.

I started and finished this book this morning. I’m actually giving it 4.5 stars. It was a super fast read. There was a lot of “science” in there, but I put it in quotations because I can’t confirm any of it. You know what? I’m OK with that. It all sounded reasonably plausible to me (even the parts that I figure aren’t could work, right?). In the end this I think the science could be substituted out for any inhospitable landscape and particular level of ingenuity. Don’t get me wrong, placing the story on Mars makes this what it is but that’s just the backdrop. The really wonderful part here is the characters. They’re all people. There’s no trouble at all believing all of them as real. I totally believe this story could happen in our near future.

You know what else? I hope this and other stories of people overcoming great odds to accomplish things that move us toward outer space exploration (ahem, Apollo 13) become the sort of thing that inspires people to push for more exploration. This book was a heck of a ride. I can’t wait to see the movie.

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Anticipated Reading

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There aren’t many books that I’ve gone gaga over. Ready Player One is among the few that I have been really taken with. I’m glad it is a stand alone book. I’m anxious that the movie can’t possibly live up to the hype it will be greeted with (even if they manage to get the rights to all the stuff they need – and I doubt that will ever happen).

Now there’s another book coming out from the same author. I’ve taken a peek at the first chapter and there is hope for another book that will drag me in and push me along on another amazing ride.

Check out the first chapter here.

I don’t have tons of reviews up, but you can check out other books I’ve read if you track me down on Goodreads or see what I’ve got posted over at MilSciFi.com.

Stumbling Blocks

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I’m constantly amazed at how the smallest tasks can turn into the largest stumbling blocks for me. There have been one or two things lately that have just stopped me in my tracks. There silly things that don’t amount to anything to anybody but me. Stuff on a “to do” list kind of stuff. These lists somehow morph from road maps to road blocks. It’s silly, but there it is.

On the up side, I get a ridiculously positive feeling when I finish these tasks, particularly if they’ve been sitting around for a while.

I wrote the other day about book reviews – and today I powered through almost all the reviews I had on my lists. I’ve got a couple left to write, but there you have it. A simple thing that is no longer the log jam in the main stream of life.

Book Review(s)

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I always try to give my honest opinion of any book I’m reading. I enjoy sitting and talking about the things I’ve read. I try to do that at least twice each month – I attend two book clubs. I also write up something about almost all the books I read on Goodreads. I also wrote up stuff for MilSciFi.com. They were hibernating, but it looks like they’re back now, so maybe more soon? Who knows. I like being able to share my opinion on what I’ve read and how I feel about it.

I want to let folks know what I like so they can get out there and support those authors too. This helps everyone. I owe a couple of folks reviews, and since I seem to have some time on my hands these days I’m going to make an effort to catch up.

I’m also really worried that I won’t have a thick enough skin for the times when my work is out there. I always try to say something positive about the work I read – because I know it’s work. It’s not easy to do all that it takes to get your work out there, then have somebody just treat it badly. I strive for thoughtful and well reasoned criticism, but don’t always hit the mark. Sometimes it really is just me.

IF you’re interested and we’re not connected already, track me down on Goodreads and do the friend thing. I’d be interested to hear what you’ve got to say.