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ChaosTheory
Active Member
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty.
36-year old Cora leaps at the opportunity to accompany a fifteen-year-old neighbor named Louise Brooks to New York, where Louise will attend dance school; and Cora seeks information and secrets from her own past.
I really liked Moriarty's style and the characters are well fleshed-out, but thought the narrative was a little soap opera-ish.
36-year old Cora leaps at the opportunity to accompany a fifteen-year-old neighbor named Louise Brooks to New York, where Louise will attend dance school; and Cora seeks information and secrets from her own past.
I really liked Moriarty's style and the characters are well fleshed-out, but thought the narrative was a little soap opera-ish.
753C
Active Member
A walk in The Woods - Bill Bryson 
Humorous and educational chronicle of Bryson's attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Laugh out loud funny in spots and filled with historical information about the AT, hiking, wildlife, weather, and lots of other stuff that I didn't think I had any interest in.
Humorous and educational chronicle of Bryson's attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Laugh out loud funny in spots and filled with historical information about the AT, hiking, wildlife, weather, and lots of other stuff that I didn't think I had any interest in.
ChaosTheory
Active Member
House of Leaves
It was a creative take on the haunted house genre, and in parts genuinely creepy; but it's also really high on its own cleverness and I never really invested in the main characters.
It was a creative take on the haunted house genre, and in parts genuinely creepy; but it's also really high on its own cleverness and I never really invested in the main characters.
ricko
Member
BETWEEN MAN AND BEAST:
Is this a non fiction book that reads like fiction? Yes and no. There was plenty of history, but I could have been presented with a little more panache. If you have read my reviews, you know that this style of writing is my favorite genre...but don’t do it half way. I liked this book, however it could have been edited in a way that would have resulted in many nail-biting chapter endings. Monte Reel, you were so close to perfection! You have a 5’ 3’’ unknown explorer who had the guts to stand up to a furious gorilla charge. According to your own research, the first white man to encounter this highly debatable relative of man. You wrote an interesting tale, but you had the wherewithal to tell it in a more intoxicating style at your fingertips. This explorer, Paul Du Chaillu, in 2013 is practically incognito. Nobody in the mid to late 1800s understood who he was, just imagine what today’s students know about Du Chaillu. Nothing! I see a book that could have been written with more flare and page turning capabilities. Okay, enough said, it was still a rousing success. 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.
ricksreviews.blogspot.com
Is this a non fiction book that reads like fiction? Yes and no. There was plenty of history, but I could have been presented with a little more panache. If you have read my reviews, you know that this style of writing is my favorite genre...but don’t do it half way. I liked this book, however it could have been edited in a way that would have resulted in many nail-biting chapter endings. Monte Reel, you were so close to perfection! You have a 5’ 3’’ unknown explorer who had the guts to stand up to a furious gorilla charge. According to your own research, the first white man to encounter this highly debatable relative of man. You wrote an interesting tale, but you had the wherewithal to tell it in a more intoxicating style at your fingertips. This explorer, Paul Du Chaillu, in 2013 is practically incognito. Nobody in the mid to late 1800s understood who he was, just imagine what today’s students know about Du Chaillu. Nothing! I see a book that could have been written with more flare and page turning capabilities. Okay, enough said, it was still a rousing success. 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.
ricksreviews.blogspot.com
ricko
Member
THE GENEVA DECISION:
Seeley James has created a dazzling new crime-stopper, and she is Pia Sabel of Sabel Security! She’s Daddy’s super rich daughter, who just happens to be a world class soccer player and a hand to hand fighter of extraordinary skill. Daddy has just turned the operations of Sabel Security over to his daughter, Pia. Untested, Pia has to win the trust of all the agents before she can lead this billion dollar company. She is surrounded by battle hardened agents, who need to be assured that the pretty rich girl can become a leader. She is assisted by some of her mind-boggling agents, such as; Major Jonelle Jackson; Tania, a cantankerous and loveable agent; agent Marty, a ex-marine; and agent Miguel. Mr. James does a good job in the empathy department, since I felt myself caring for quite a few of these gnarly gumshoes. This novel is the first in a series of Pia Sabel mysteries that Mr. James states he will write. If this is true, I’ll have a few suggestions on how he can improve the series later in this review.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS. ricksreviews.blogspot.com
Seeley James has created a dazzling new crime-stopper, and she is Pia Sabel of Sabel Security! She’s Daddy’s super rich daughter, who just happens to be a world class soccer player and a hand to hand fighter of extraordinary skill. Daddy has just turned the operations of Sabel Security over to his daughter, Pia. Untested, Pia has to win the trust of all the agents before she can lead this billion dollar company. She is surrounded by battle hardened agents, who need to be assured that the pretty rich girl can become a leader. She is assisted by some of her mind-boggling agents, such as; Major Jonelle Jackson; Tania, a cantankerous and loveable agent; agent Marty, a ex-marine; and agent Miguel. Mr. James does a good job in the empathy department, since I felt myself caring for quite a few of these gnarly gumshoes. This novel is the first in a series of Pia Sabel mysteries that Mr. James states he will write. If this is true, I’ll have a few suggestions on how he can improve the series later in this review.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS. ricksreviews.blogspot.com
ricko
Member
FREAKSOME TALES:
No sophomore jinx for William Rosencrans! When I reviewed Willie's first novel, The Epiphanist, I said it was a cross between fantasy and weird fiction. What do I compare this work with? How about a balance of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein and Mel Brooks 1974 movie Young Frankenstein? Some of the ten tales are scary, some funny. The supposed writer is V.V. Swigferd Gloume, but really it's Willie Rosencrans in his H.P. Lovecraft costume writing these macabre short horror stories. Even the picture on the front cover is a revised Lovecraft. Reshape Lovecraft's head, change the stoic look to a scowl and what do you get? That's right, Gloume! I'm not surprised that Willie’s tales seem to spoof Lovecraft's style because good ole H.P. is the grandfather of weird fiction and gothic horror. Since most of the tales deal with the psychology of man, or pure mental fear, I am also reminded of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Fall of the House of Usher. Okay, one last comparison...Both H.P. Lovecraft and the fictional Gloume are known racist. Gloume, talking about the foreigners invasion of England said...”For their number, disgorged daily from the same ships Liverpool prospered by, grew even greater.” He hated what he called ‘the others.’ 5 OUT OF 5 STARS. ricksreviews.blogspot.com
No sophomore jinx for William Rosencrans! When I reviewed Willie's first novel, The Epiphanist, I said it was a cross between fantasy and weird fiction. What do I compare this work with? How about a balance of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein and Mel Brooks 1974 movie Young Frankenstein? Some of the ten tales are scary, some funny. The supposed writer is V.V. Swigferd Gloume, but really it's Willie Rosencrans in his H.P. Lovecraft costume writing these macabre short horror stories. Even the picture on the front cover is a revised Lovecraft. Reshape Lovecraft's head, change the stoic look to a scowl and what do you get? That's right, Gloume! I'm not surprised that Willie’s tales seem to spoof Lovecraft's style because good ole H.P. is the grandfather of weird fiction and gothic horror. Since most of the tales deal with the psychology of man, or pure mental fear, I am also reminded of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Fall of the House of Usher. Okay, one last comparison...Both H.P. Lovecraft and the fictional Gloume are known racist. Gloume, talking about the foreigners invasion of England said...”For their number, disgorged daily from the same ships Liverpool prospered by, grew even greater.” He hated what he called ‘the others.’ 5 OUT OF 5 STARS.
ricksreviews.blogspot.com
ricko
Member
WARRIOR GIRL:
Whereas young-adult (YA) fiction might not be my cup of tea, I do recognize a well structured novel when I read one. And I think this novel by Matt Lazar and Amanda Thomas is a good example of that rationalization. It’s a simple story about a young Korean girl coming to Oxford on a scholarship. Her eastern ways are misunderstood by some western people, and inadvertently mistaken as standoffish. However there is one person at Oxford who hates her merely because of a long- standing belligerence between Korea and Japan. This is the setting for a somewhat exciting novel, although fairly predictable. The fact that our heroine, Sun Hi Kim, plays the popular video game, World of Warcraft, to ease her tensions in this new and strange western world results in the book’s title Warrior Girl. Notwithstanding, I found that title hard to swallow based on how many times Sun Hi faints when faced with adversity. The authors paint Sun Hi as a beautiful fragile vase with a concerned distrust for western men and their motives. The writers did such a commendable job that a learned person ostensibly falls in love with Sun Hi. The reader finds himself endorsing her every move. Great job in the empathy category by the writing duo. 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.ricksreviews.blogspot.com
Whereas young-adult (YA) fiction might not be my cup of tea, I do recognize a well structured novel when I read one. And I think this novel by Matt Lazar and Amanda Thomas is a good example of that rationalization. It’s a simple story about a young Korean girl coming to Oxford on a scholarship. Her eastern ways are misunderstood by some western people, and inadvertently mistaken as standoffish. However there is one person at Oxford who hates her merely because of a long- standing belligerence between Korea and Japan. This is the setting for a somewhat exciting novel, although fairly predictable. The fact that our heroine, Sun Hi Kim, plays the popular video game, World of Warcraft, to ease her tensions in this new and strange western world results in the book’s title Warrior Girl. Notwithstanding, I found that title hard to swallow based on how many times Sun Hi faints when faced with adversity. The authors paint Sun Hi as a beautiful fragile vase with a concerned distrust for western men and their motives. The writers did such a commendable job that a learned person ostensibly falls in love with Sun Hi. The reader finds himself endorsing her every move. Great job in the empathy category by the writing duo. 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.ricksreviews.blogspot.com
753C
Active Member
Sharpe's Eagle - Bernard Cornwell
I thought I had read the whole series, but lo and behold an earlier one that I had no recollection of. Cornwell (as usual) strikes the perfect balance between historically accurate and educational, and rip-roaring action adventure. This story focuses on the Battle of Talavera during the Peninsular War.
Despite being the seasoned, efficient warrior-strategist that he is, Sharpe still manages to get into trouble. An incompetent Colonel wants his career ended, a villainous Lieutenant wants him dead, and a beautiful Spanish aristocrat seems intent on bankrupting him and breaking his heart in the process. And those are just his "allies". He also has the largest French Army in Spain to contend with.
I thought I had read the whole series, but lo and behold an earlier one that I had no recollection of. Cornwell (as usual) strikes the perfect balance between historically accurate and educational, and rip-roaring action adventure. This story focuses on the Battle of Talavera during the Peninsular War.
Despite being the seasoned, efficient warrior-strategist that he is, Sharpe still manages to get into trouble. An incompetent Colonel wants his career ended, a villainous Lieutenant wants him dead, and a beautiful Spanish aristocrat seems intent on bankrupting him and breaking his heart in the process. And those are just his "allies". He also has the largest French Army in Spain to contend with.
Dimitri Verhulst, De Helaasheid der Dingen (English title: The Unfortunates).
It is really a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories which are at times incredibly witty and funny or sad with a very serious undertone. Some of the stories are based on the author's youth, others are made up. Very good read though. I love the way the sentences are construed, he uses a lot of slightly unusual adverbs (though that might be because this is a Flemmish author and I'm Dutch, the languages are ever so subtly different) but never to the point where it seems like he randomly picked words out of a thesaurus. Highly recommended.
It is really a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories which are at times incredibly witty and funny or sad with a very serious undertone. Some of the stories are based on the author's youth, others are made up. Very good read though. I love the way the sentences are construed, he uses a lot of slightly unusual adverbs (though that might be because this is a Flemmish author and I'm Dutch, the languages are ever so subtly different) but never to the point where it seems like he randomly picked words out of a thesaurus. Highly recommended.
ricko
Member
Murder Takes Time:
This is one of the better mob/mafia novels that I have read in a long time. How long? I have to go back to 1969’s The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and 1971’s Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese. I’m not suggesting that Mr. Giammatteo’s novel is in the rarefied air of the two previously mention novels, but it does deserve an honorable mention. This is a accomplished first novel by a self proclaimed full- time job headhunter, and part-time writer. Giacomo is amongst many new writers that I have read this year that deserve prominence with a major publisher. What does it take for a writer to get the proper recognition? I’m not saying that there aren’t any flaws in Giacomo’s novel, but there are a lot more positives versus imperfections. We will talk about that later. 4 out of 5 stars.ricksreviews.blogspot.com
This is one of the better mob/mafia novels that I have read in a long time. How long? I have to go back to 1969’s The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and 1971’s Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese. I’m not suggesting that Mr. Giammatteo’s novel is in the rarefied air of the two previously mention novels, but it does deserve an honorable mention. This is a accomplished first novel by a self proclaimed full- time job headhunter, and part-time writer. Giacomo is amongst many new writers that I have read this year that deserve prominence with a major publisher. What does it take for a writer to get the proper recognition? I’m not saying that there aren’t any flaws in Giacomo’s novel, but there are a lot more positives versus imperfections. We will talk about that later. 4 out of 5 stars.ricksreviews.blogspot.com
beer good
Well-Known Member
Felicitas Hoppe, Hoppe. A hilarious take on the autobiography; she doesn't write about the life she's actually had, but the life she might have had... if she'd been kidnapped by her dad at a young age and adopted by Wayne Gretzky's family. She writes it like a dry (and very German) critical study in third person of how these life experiences may have shaped her writing, throwing in (fake?) quotes from (fake?) critics about (fake?) books lambasting her for pointless exercises in nonsense literature, gets her story mixed up with The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Pippi Longstocking, Captain Grant's Children, Tom Sawyer etc, runs it all through a blender, and has Glenn Gould play it. Bizarre, not necessarily accessible, but lots of fun.
Meadow337
Former Moderator
Felicitas Hoppe, Hoppe. A hilarious take on the autobiography; she doesn't write about the life she's actually had, but the life she might have had... if she'd been kidnapped by her dad at a young age and adopted by Wayne Gretzky's family. She writes it like a dry (and very German) critical study in third person of how these life experiences may have shaped her writing, throwing in (fake?) quotes from (fake?) critics about (fake?) books lambasting her for pointless exercises in nonsense literature, gets her story mixed up with The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Pippi Longstocking, Captain Grant's Children, Tom Sawyer etc, runs it all through a blender, and has Glenn Gould play it. Bizarre, not necessarily accessible, but lots of fun.
It sounds like it could be wonderful or really awful.
Hedwig
Member
Elizabeth Gaskell - Cranford
Another gap in my English classical reading list closed. I liked Gaskell's style and her occasional sharp humour in this episodic account of life in a tiny English village inhabited mostly by women. Some of their customs appear downright ridiculous from today's point of view, but this insight into mid-19th-century life was quite interesting, but I couldn't actually form any "bonds" with the characters, and the first half of it was rather slow IMO. I'm going to give Gaskell another try at a later point, though, probably "North and South" or "Wives and Daughters".
Another gap in my English classical reading list closed. I liked Gaskell's style and her occasional sharp humour in this episodic account of life in a tiny English village inhabited mostly by women. Some of their customs appear downright ridiculous from today's point of view, but this insight into mid-19th-century life was quite interesting, but I couldn't actually form any "bonds" with the characters, and the first half of it was rather slow IMO. I'm going to give Gaskell another try at a later point, though, probably "North and South" or "Wives and Daughters".
beer good
Well-Known Member
Zadie Smith, NW
This was actually really good. And by "good" I mean that it's a messy, fragmented novel that switches protagonists several times, boils over and burns, occasionally gets lost in its own attempts to fuse The Kinks and M.I.A., and nevertheless grips me in a way the polished, planned and ridiculously dull On Beauty never managed. Welcome back, Ms Smith.
This was actually really good. And by "good" I mean that it's a messy, fragmented novel that switches protagonists several times, boils over and burns, occasionally gets lost in its own attempts to fuse The Kinks and M.I.A., and nevertheless grips me in a way the polished, planned and ridiculously dull On Beauty never managed. Welcome back, Ms Smith.