Category: Fiction

Book Review: The Age of Innocence by Wharton (3 Stars)

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

3 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2008

At times, I wanted to strangle Newland Archer for being so naive, so blind to what was happening around him. Especially from his sweet subservient fiancé. I really connected with Ellen and longed for her to have more scenes, rather than just hearing the rumors about her from various members of the families involved.

I admire all the characters stoic resolve to play the cards dealt them and make the best of their lives. In today’s society with disposal marriages and relationships, it was refreshing.

Downloaded the free ebook from Project Gutenberg – http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/541

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Book Review: The Andromeda Strain by Crichton (4 Stars)

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

4 out of 5 stars

Read multiple times, but most recently in June 2008

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this classic science fiction novel by Michael Crichton. And it was something I could knock out in a couple of hours, even with lots of scientific jargon to slog through. Stretching vocabulary is always a good thing!

I decided to re-read The Andromeda Strain because of the A&E mini-series aired a couple of weeks ago. I think the screenwriters did an excellent job of being faithful to the book but also updating the science and technology forty plus years. The elements of drama and crisis were maintained and made more believable; yet the human element of fear, mistakes and intuition were preserved.

Book Review: Warrior by Fallon (4 Stars)

Warrior by Jennifer Fallon

4 out of 5 stars

Read in July 2008

Jennifer Fallon did not disappoint in this continuation of the Wolfblade saga. I probably should not have read it on the heels of Mistborn: The Final Empire as it is somewhat of a tragedy. I should probably find something less depressing to read next or I might become a footnote to my own life.

Note to my followers:  I apologize for these ‘short’ reviews from the early days of when I first joined GoodReads.  I’m still trying to transfer all my reviews from there to here, but I don’t have time to re-read these books to flesh out the reviews.  I did very much enjoy Fallon’s entire Wolfblade series and highly recommend it to fans of fantastic fiction.

Book Review: ABC Murders by Christie (3 Stars)

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

3 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2008

Not as engaging as And Then There Were None , but still an entertaining exercise in murder mystery theatre. I confess I did not discover the true murderer until Hercule Peroit telegraphed it to me in the final chapters. However, I did suspect that the obvious in-your-face suspect was just that – too obvious. For the longest time, I was convinced Inspector Crome was the mastermind behind the serial murders, but thankfully, I was wrong on that count.

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Return of the Clone Wars

Those waiting for Clone Wars: The Lost Missions to get some kind of closure for the hit Star Wars cartoon won’t need to wait much longer. The never-before-seen final episodes will debut on Netflix on March 7th, and here’s the first clip featuring a very special cameo!

Netflix debuting 6th & Final Season on March 7th – io9

I first saw mention of this yesterday via my smartphone app feeds, but this was my first chance to really get the full picture.  Looking forward to March now, and not just for the snowmelt.

Book Review: Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille by Brust (3 Stars)

Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust

3 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2008

Warning:  Spoilers

This was not your typical Stephen Brust novel. In fact, I’ve never read anything quite like this.

It’s told in first person (with a few Intermezzos of third person to fill in the blanks) of a banjo player in a folk band named Billy. We meet Billy in Cowboy Feng’s as he listens to his band mates tuning up for the evening gig. The gig is cut short by a nuclear explosion which catapults the bar through time and space to another planet. They were on Mars, prior to that on Venus, prior to that a lunar colony and original in London on Old Earth.

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The Most Unusual Alternate History Novels Ever Published

http://io9.com/the-most-unusual-alternate-history-novels-ever-publishe-1518395336?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

I may add a few of these books to my already staggering stack of to – be – read books.

See any that you like or would recommend?

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Answering the Question: What’s Wrong with Epic Fantasy?

That is tricky question to answer, because the very nature of the work is what makes epic fantasy…well, epic. Maybe there really isn’t anything broken or wrong with epic fantasy as a subgenre, maybe the thing that gets broken, or perhaps a better word might be “tired,” of epic fantasy is the reader.

— Teresa Frohock, author of  Miserere: an Autumn Tale

One of many ‘epic’ answers to the question ‘What’s Wrong with Epic Fantasy?’ found at the recent MIND MELD: What’s “Wrong” with Epic Fantasy? – SF Signal post.

eBook Review: Three Princes by Wheeler (2.5 Stars)

Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler

2.5 to 3 stars out of 5

Read in January/February 2014

In the beginning, there were only Two Princes – Oken and Mabruke, apprentice/journeyman and master spies of the Egyptian Empire, an empire that never fell and where Cleopatra didn’t kiss an asp. The offspring of Caesar and Cleopatra multiplied and prospered across the centuries, bringing us to the golden age of culture and civilization we normally associate with the Victorian era. Never fear, Victoria and Albert have their parts to play in the political theater bubbling across Europe and between the two Empires of the Old and New Worlds.

And that’s where our Third Prince, Viracocha, makes his dramatic entrance, as a member of the royal family of the Inca/Aztec Empire of the New World. Logically, to the author at least, if Spain never rose to prominence, then the South American continent wouldn’t have been invaded and devastated by the Conquistadors. Instead, they flourished and prospered just as their Egyptian peers did in the Old World.

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