Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2022
I’ve never laughed so much listening to a zombie story before…but then again I’ve never listened to a book about zombie turkeys before either. Hilariously written and actually has some great characters too. Many cameos as well. Definitely an awesome time listening to this one. Hoping for a sequel!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 24, 2022
An uplifting tale of how four students find that within disability is ability. Looking past who others think they are was the way the four came together to make a difference not only in their own lives but the lives of those around them. The main theme of this tale is practice, practice, practice.
Classic Book Reviews for You – Read what I think of famous books you may have read. Do you agree with me? Whether you do or not, let me know here (click) or by emailing me at [email protected] and I’ll send you a free book.
Classic Book Reviews – You begin with ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
The greatest novel of the 20th century, a true 5 star book, one that’ll be read in another hundred years.
My latest re-read was in the single volume edition with Christopher Lee’s artwork. His art is detailed and complex, with hidden elements that tell the story.
In this re-read, I saw the close connection between the start of the book, which is often called dull, and the end of the Hobbit. One dovetails into the other. The hobbit background is necessary for those who didn’t read the Hobbit, and provides additional detail on them, including their three races: the Stoors, the Harfoots, and the Fallowhides.
I also noticed in my re-read the masterful way Tolkien built tension and prolongs conflict and threats. He also increases the risks and dangers throughout the book. These details jump out at me more since I became an author.
This was the first time I’ve re-read ‘The Little Prince’ since the first time, about 31 years ago.
It was nothing like I remembered. I remembered it as a great children’s book, but I never read it to my children, that I recall. Rather, it was a book I skimmed through, thinking I understood it.
I didn’t.
I thought it was about the difference between adults and children. It was, but much more. Somehow I missed all the discussions about friendship. There were many friendships in the book. There was the one between the little prince and the author. There was one between the little prince and a fox. And the most important one was between the little prince and his flower.
It taught an important truth about friendships. They are valuable because of the time you spend together. And it told another important truth. The important things of consequence are not what you can see.
But you may think this is a boring, moralizing book. It isn’t. That’s why the book is still read 80 years after it was written. It’s an adventure of the author, an aviator and artist, and the little prince.
I couldn’t find my review of 1984, but I found a review I agree with.
I read Nineteen Eighty-Four when I was eleven years old. School had just let out for the summer, and my family spent that first Saturday down on Lake Moovalya on the Colorado River. It was my first time out in the sun, and I seriously overdid it, spending all day in the river and getting severely sunburned. The next day I could barely move. My mom told me I was “sun poisoned.” The weather turned ugly, too–we were hit with a howling dust storm, so strong and thick I couldn’t see across the street. I wasn’t going anywhere, so I looked for something to read. Our next-door neighbors’ son had gone off to college and his parents, knowing I was a bookworm, gave me a box of paperbacks, mostly science fiction. And in that collection was a copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four. I don’t know why I picked that particular volume–I could have selected Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot or Andre Norton’s The Sioux Spaceman–but Orwell was what I went with.
Wow. When I finished the book a few hours later, I had never been so bummed in my life. I think maybe being so sick and miserable must have had something to do with it, but the experience of reading about Winston Smith’s futile, hopeless fight against Big Brother was so overwhelming, for years afterwards–until I read Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese—Nineteen Eighty-Four was my nominee for most depressing book ever written.
But even though I was thoroughly depressed after reading Nineteen Eighty-Four, I still rate it five stars. The total despair the book engendered in me is a testament to Orwell’s skill as a writer. As with all of Orwell’s work, fiction and non-fiction alike, Nineteen Eighty-Four is well-written–Orwell certainly knew his craft. It also captures perfectly life in the Stalinist Soviet Union. The utter bleakness of life, the omnipotent repression by the government, the controlling of the very language to restrict the ability of the populace to think, and the futility of rebellion, all were features of life in the USSR, and all are portrayed truly and vividly in Nineteen Eighty-Four.
It’s so depressing (I read it at about 17) that I rate it 2 stars, despite being still read seventy years after it was published. Normally I would give it 5 stars for that feat.
The real horror of the book is that Orwell was describing conditions in Soviet Russia at the time and that nothing has changed in human behavior since then. The same conditions exist in North Korea.
I understand where you’re coming from. And in reading your comment, I realize I need to amend, or add to, my review–I should have included why I rated it five stars.
Hank, I can make a strong argument to rate it five stars. 1) It’s a historically accurate portrayal of Soviet Russia and current North Korea and Cuba; 2) It provides an ominous warning against socialism and communism; 3) It’s still relevant 70 years after it was published; 4) It is extremely well written with gripping characters.
But ultimately my rating is subjective. I read it twice and hated both experiences.
You’ve Gotten to the Bottom. Claim Your Free Books
August Memes and Reviews for You, curated by me, Andy Zach. Let’s start with some memes:
How would you like another? Here you go!
With my current work-in-process, Secret Supers in Space, I feel like I have that block on my desk every other day. I’ve been writing it in fits and starts. It’s the third book in my Secret Supers series, starting with:
Jeremy has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around. He is in a special education class with Dan, who is blind, Kayla, who was mute and used a walker, and Audrey, who lost her legs and uses crutches. One afternoon, when conducting experiments in his laboratory, Jeremy accidentally gives himself superpowers. Specifically, he gains the ability of telekinesis, which he can use to help himself walk, cause his wheelchair to travel at much higher speeds, and even fly. Not wanting to keep this discovery to himself, Jeremy tells his 3 friends about it and gives each of them superpowers as well. But now that they have superpowers, what should they do? Following the words of Uncle Ben of Spiderman, they decide they must use their powers for good, beginning by trying to solve a case of a stolen car, and keep their identities a secret, modeling their costumes on the Incredibles.
This book was a fun story that placed individuals with disabilities front and center in the story. While the superpowers allow them to do things they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, it is what they choose to do with their powers that makes all the difference. Also, even with their superpowers, their initial disabilities aren’t erased, which I think is important. I liked to development of the characters and how they interacted and supported each other; I only wish the book had been longer so I could have spent more time with them. I am glad that there’s a sequel already published, and I look forward to reading/listening to it.
As usual, Dave Freer’s book is a romp in madness. We start off with an improbable hero, Squigs, six foot ten, and ectomorphic. He’s a university student in alchemy who’s on the run from people who want him dead and who just blew off his hand. So naturally, he jumps into another universe, through a portal predicted by his laptop computer.
The new world is swamp and ocean where he’s saved from death by a huge man and his beautiful daughter, who hates him. She’s destined to marry a hero from a royal family, so she has no time for a clumsy, awkward suitor. They include him on a mission to save the rapidly poached dragons of their world.
Secret societies, demons, and body-selling vampires enter the story, as well as a blood-thirsty dwarf and a spectral parrot.
My 12 year old read this one too and really liked it a lot better then the first book. It could stand on it’s own but will flow better if you read the first one before this book. This story has a great flow and plot that will definitely keep you engaged. Turns out that the hamster did change with the electromagnetic exposure…. The tweens go to Coaster World for a much needed break from their superhero duties when it gets interrupted by a villain. The tweens must work together again and reach out for help. It’s a great read for the younger elementary to adult reader.
Author Harmon Cooper continues his series of Arik, the steadily improving War Priest. Having great control of healing magic (revivura) and developed some control of illusion magic (chimuchura), he is also learning warrior magic (thunderura) and the magic under them all, Yokaura.
It’s a good thing he’s learning because he wants to get revenge on the current dictator Nobunaga who killed his family and friends and has his sister hostage. Along the way, he has to complete dozens of side quests to help friends and achieve goals.
Highly entertaining. I think this was my favorite so far
