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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night of the Living Trekkies in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Not as imaginative or funny as I'd hoped, <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u> was still a fun read, some may even call it a brainless read. As far as zombie stories go, this doesn't cover any new territory, but that's where Star Trek helps the book out. Chock full of references, storyline parallels, and chapters named after episodes, it's clear this is devoted to Star Trek fans, whether they be Trekkies or Trekkers. The authors clearly know what they're writing about and lovingly poke fun at Star Trek and its fans. There's even some Star Wars love thrown in for good measure, and not with the usual rivalry between the two either.
In order to fully enjoy this book, I think it is essential that readers have a passable knowledge of the Star Trek universe, like zombies, and appreciate pulp, or at least have two of those three; otherwise, I can't imagine this would appeal to anyone outside of those factors. Overall, I had a good time with <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u>, there were moments that made me laugh-out-loud (I especially liked the tale of the "Red Shirts") and though it's predictable, the story was well-told, and at around 250 pages, it's a very easy read. Readers could do worse than to pick up this book; what you see on the awesome cover is pretty much what you get on the inside: pure, pulpy entertainment that's well-envisioned and could easily be made into a movie.
3.5 Warp Speed
This has one of the best trailers I've ever seen, certainly the best book trailer:
Not part of the book at all but definitely goes along with it: http://molitorious.blogspot.com/2009/06/zombie-trek.html
In order to fully enjoy this book, I think it is essential that readers have a passable knowledge of the Star Trek universe, like zombies, and appreciate pulp, or at least have two of those three; otherwise, I can't imagine this would appeal to anyone outside of those factors. Overall, I had a good time with <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u>, there were moments that made me laugh-out-loud (I especially liked the tale of the "Red Shirts") and though it's predictable, the story was well-told, and at around 250 pages, it's a very easy read. Readers could do worse than to pick up this book; what you see on the awesome cover is pretty much what you get on the inside: pure, pulpy entertainment that's well-envisioned and could easily be made into a movie.
3.5 Warp Speed
This has one of the best trailers I've ever seen, certainly the best book trailer:
Not part of the book at all but definitely goes along with it: http://molitorious.blogspot.com/2009/06/zombie-trek.html
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The Star-Touched Queen is a little slow to start, but once it finds a groove the story will draw you in and you won't want to put it down. The writing style is very poetic and descriptive, which is absolutely gorgeous but can sometimes slow down the story. Those pacing issues continue throughout the story. Sometimes the book flows well and you find yourself reading through chapters in no time, while other times the writing or plot trips you up and slows down the story.
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story, as not only does it include elements of Indian folklore but it is a re-telling of the Hades and Persephone myth. As a huge fan of Greek mythology, that was the aspect of the story that I was most excited to experience. Amar and Maya are our Hades and Persephone, although it is a unique story and you don't feel like you're reading a re-telling.
As strange as it seems, my favourite character was actually the demon horse Kamala. Although she could be really creepy when she salivated over eating people, she could be funny and made some of the scenes for me. Although I liked Amar, Maya and the other supporting characters I didn't relate strongly to any of them so it made me less invested in the book. I wish I did like them more because I would have loved to have stronger feelings about this gorgeous book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it - but it didn't make any strong or lasting impact on me. Readers who are fans of flowery prose and very descriptive writing will enjoy Roshani Chokshi's writing style, but if you are a fan of more simple sentences you might have difficultly getting through this book.
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story, as not only does it include elements of Indian folklore but it is a re-telling of the Hades and Persephone myth. As a huge fan of Greek mythology, that was the aspect of the story that I was most excited to experience. Amar and Maya are our Hades and Persephone, although it is a unique story and you don't feel like you're reading a re-telling.
As strange as it seems, my favourite character was actually the demon horse Kamala. Although she could be really creepy when she salivated over eating people, she could be funny and made some of the scenes for me. Although I liked Amar, Maya and the other supporting characters I didn't relate strongly to any of them so it made me less invested in the book. I wish I did like them more because I would have loved to have stronger feelings about this gorgeous book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it - but it didn't make any strong or lasting impact on me. Readers who are fans of flowery prose and very descriptive writing will enjoy Roshani Chokshi's writing style, but if you are a fan of more simple sentences you might have difficultly getting through this book.
A Gentleman's Bedside Book: Entertainment for the Last Fifteen Minutes of the Day
Book
Have you ever found that once you are between the sheets Madame Bovary is too heavy, magazines are...
The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half-Baked Heroes from Comic Book History
8.0
Rate It
Book
A fun, funny, and affectionate look at the strangest superheroes to ever appear in comics, some so...
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5) in Books
Jan 3, 2021
Seeing the world through Edwards eyes. (1 more)
Even though you know the story, it's NOT like reading the same book twice.
Insight, it's a funny thing.
Contains spoilers, click to show
So, I hate to include spoilers in my reviews, HOWEVER as this is a story that has already been told (in both book and film) I don't really think it is one, but for the rare person out there unfamiliar with the twilight universe I've clicked contains spoilers.
So - lets start with the obvious, I really enjoyed it. I learnt things I didn't know from the first book, it was fascinating to watch the stories unfold from Edwards mind, it made the whole book feel so much different. For example, Despite Twilight being a relatively dark book (the fear, the mystery etc) I always had this sense of light in it, the excitement, love and hope Bella felt. This one is darker with the feeling of Edwards constant seesaw of emotions, his internal arguement as to whether or not he was doing the right thing being with Bella and fighting his natural instinct to kill her and want for her to have a normal human life. I also didn't know he had planned to leave her before New Moon, he was jist biding his time for it to come almost naturally rather than out of the blue.
Even though I know how the story ends, it was definitely an interesting read, learning something knew.
SPOILER sort of.
The way Edwards mind works in this is something you never see in the other books, he can tune into someones mind (other than Bella obvs) and hear the current thoughts but can also see what they see as they process it. This never occured to me before and was really cool to discover.
So - lets start with the obvious, I really enjoyed it. I learnt things I didn't know from the first book, it was fascinating to watch the stories unfold from Edwards mind, it made the whole book feel so much different. For example, Despite Twilight being a relatively dark book (the fear, the mystery etc) I always had this sense of light in it, the excitement, love and hope Bella felt. This one is darker with the feeling of Edwards constant seesaw of emotions, his internal arguement as to whether or not he was doing the right thing being with Bella and fighting his natural instinct to kill her and want for her to have a normal human life. I also didn't know he had planned to leave her before New Moon, he was jist biding his time for it to come almost naturally rather than out of the blue.
Even though I know how the story ends, it was definitely an interesting read, learning something knew.
SPOILER sort of.
The way Edwards mind works in this is something you never see in the other books, he can tune into someones mind (other than Bella obvs) and hear the current thoughts but can also see what they see as they process it. This never occured to me before and was really cool to discover.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Constant Rabbit in Books
Aug 20, 2020
Great absurd book
Fforde's kay strength as an author is coming up with a premise and turning a surface-level idea into a wonderfully worked piece of fiction. My past reading of his have been more absurd crime-style investigatory books, where a character in an unusual world investigate a crime in that world. The world can unfold itself gradually over time and the story is fairly well structured.
In The Constant Rabbit, Fforde has taken the topic of racism and put it in a different setting. Due to an unexplained event, a number of animals were anthropomorphised, including a few rabbits, foxes, bears and elephants. True to their nature, that small population of rabbits has exploded and they now represent a large proportion of the population. Britain being what it is, there is a lot of ill-feeling toward these rabbits and this has made it's way into politics and societal changes. The government themselves are the UK Anti Rabbit Party, and there are a great number of restrictions on the rabbits' freedom of movement.
The book serves as a great analogy for historic racism and xenophobia that still remains in the UK and the western world as a whole.
The story itself only reveals itself gradually, it takes a long time to be set up and generally just unfolds. There is no real underlying plot from the off, it is the unfolding of a scenario.
To that end, I felt this book was a little more about the idea, and the effort put in to fleshing that out, and the story itself has suffered slightly. There are long sections of exposition throughout the book, and at times it does get a little boring.
Far from Fforde at his best, it is still a great funny book and a wonderful thought experiment and demonstration of the ludicrousness of xenophobia.
In The Constant Rabbit, Fforde has taken the topic of racism and put it in a different setting. Due to an unexplained event, a number of animals were anthropomorphised, including a few rabbits, foxes, bears and elephants. True to their nature, that small population of rabbits has exploded and they now represent a large proportion of the population. Britain being what it is, there is a lot of ill-feeling toward these rabbits and this has made it's way into politics and societal changes. The government themselves are the UK Anti Rabbit Party, and there are a great number of restrictions on the rabbits' freedom of movement.
The book serves as a great analogy for historic racism and xenophobia that still remains in the UK and the western world as a whole.
The story itself only reveals itself gradually, it takes a long time to be set up and generally just unfolds. There is no real underlying plot from the off, it is the unfolding of a scenario.
To that end, I felt this book was a little more about the idea, and the effort put in to fleshing that out, and the story itself has suffered slightly. There are long sections of exposition throughout the book, and at times it does get a little boring.
Far from Fforde at his best, it is still a great funny book and a wonderful thought experiment and demonstration of the ludicrousness of xenophobia.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Hating Game in Books
Apr 22, 2022
I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book as I had seen some reviews where people had loved it and some where people had hated it. I went into it with an open mind and within 18 pages I was laughing at some of the comments Lucy made about Josh.
The typical chick-lit with a touch of humour, it wasn’t hard to guess the outcome of the book, but it was a joyful and funny ride to get there. There were so many moments where I either laughed out loud or snorted because of a comment, making it a good read in my eyes!
I enjoyed the hatred between Lucy and Josh and all of the little “games” that they played in the office to see who could annoy each other first. I did guess where the story was going to end with them quite early on in the book, but I still needed to find out what some of the things meant (like the marks in Josh’s planner) and the journey was fun to undertake with Lucy and Josh.
At first I found Josh extremely unlikeable, but after the paint balling team building day, I grew to like him more and more with his actions. Although I definitely wouldn’t have come to the conclusion that he was shy and that was the reason for his behaviour like Lucy did.
Sally Thorne’s writing was so easy to get lost in, and I found myself having to make myself put the book down to get some sleep but not being able to wait to be able to pick it back up again. I think this might be a go to book to read again and again. I will have to see if Sally Thorne’s other books are just as good!
The typical chick-lit with a touch of humour, it wasn’t hard to guess the outcome of the book, but it was a joyful and funny ride to get there. There were so many moments where I either laughed out loud or snorted because of a comment, making it a good read in my eyes!
I enjoyed the hatred between Lucy and Josh and all of the little “games” that they played in the office to see who could annoy each other first. I did guess where the story was going to end with them quite early on in the book, but I still needed to find out what some of the things meant (like the marks in Josh’s planner) and the journey was fun to undertake with Lucy and Josh.
At first I found Josh extremely unlikeable, but after the paint balling team building day, I grew to like him more and more with his actions. Although I definitely wouldn’t have come to the conclusion that he was shy and that was the reason for his behaviour like Lucy did.
Sally Thorne’s writing was so easy to get lost in, and I found myself having to make myself put the book down to get some sleep but not being able to wait to be able to pick it back up again. I think this might be a go to book to read again and again. I will have to see if Sally Thorne’s other books are just as good!
If you thought a modern retelling of [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926]--set mainly in present day Cincinnati--didn't exactly sound like a page-turner, no one could exactly blame you. But, nonetheless, you'd be quite wrong. Sittenfeld's novel imagines the Bennet family in our modern times; Mr. and Mrs. Bennet live in a rambling Tudor home in Cincinnati: broke and somewhat clueless as their house crumbles around them. Mrs. Bennet spends her time clucking around her five unmarried daughters: Jane, Liz, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. The book revolves mainly around the perspective of Liz, a magazine writer in her upper thirties living in New York City. She and Jane, also in NYC, return home to their parents and younger sisters after Mr. Bennet has a heart attack, only to find the house and the family in a bit of a shambles.
The book is amazing. It's been a while since I read [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926], but even I can tell you that the novel does an excellent job of following the original plot without being annoying or cloying. It's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] with lesbians and hate sex! The book comes across as familiar yet new, allowing you to ache, laugh, and rage at what feels like a group of old friends.
Mr. Bennet is a trip, even while having a heartbreaking sadness and sweetness at his core (though some of his zingers are priceless). The younger sisters are as (nearly) vapid as to be expected--truly awful at times--for much of the book. But seriously, Lydia and Kitty loving CrossFit? It's awesome. And Liz is wonderful; you will adore this surprisingly realistic and modern Liz, with all of her foibles and issues: a truly modern Liz struggling mightily to keep her family together and afloat.
As for Darcy, well he's as Darcy as ever. Somehow Sittenfeld has managed to truly capture the essence of Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth in her new characters. I don't know how, but it's funny and lovely all at the same time. (Side note: As a woman in her early thirties, will I ever be able to read about Darcy without picturing Colin Firth? I now have a desperate need to watch the BBC/A&E mini-series again.)
Overall, I found this book funny, touching, and compulsively readable. The characters are truly characters: they are fully formed within moments of picking up the book. The city of Cincinnati makes a great guest appearance, with the city playing a prominent role in many scenes (hi Skyline Chili!). If you loved the original, you'll find this updated version enjoyable and imaginative, with a surprising depth behind it. If you've never read Austen's work (and you should), you will still discover a funny, sweet yet weighty story of a family trying to make it in this day and age. Highly recommended (4.5 stars).
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 4/19/16. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
The book is amazing. It's been a while since I read [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926], but even I can tell you that the novel does an excellent job of following the original plot without being annoying or cloying. It's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] with lesbians and hate sex! The book comes across as familiar yet new, allowing you to ache, laugh, and rage at what feels like a group of old friends.
Mr. Bennet is a trip, even while having a heartbreaking sadness and sweetness at his core (though some of his zingers are priceless). The younger sisters are as (nearly) vapid as to be expected--truly awful at times--for much of the book. But seriously, Lydia and Kitty loving CrossFit? It's awesome. And Liz is wonderful; you will adore this surprisingly realistic and modern Liz, with all of her foibles and issues: a truly modern Liz struggling mightily to keep her family together and afloat.
As for Darcy, well he's as Darcy as ever. Somehow Sittenfeld has managed to truly capture the essence of Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth in her new characters. I don't know how, but it's funny and lovely all at the same time. (Side note: As a woman in her early thirties, will I ever be able to read about Darcy without picturing Colin Firth? I now have a desperate need to watch the BBC/A&E mini-series again.)
Overall, I found this book funny, touching, and compulsively readable. The characters are truly characters: they are fully formed within moments of picking up the book. The city of Cincinnati makes a great guest appearance, with the city playing a prominent role in many scenes (hi Skyline Chili!). If you loved the original, you'll find this updated version enjoyable and imaginative, with a surprising depth behind it. If you've never read Austen's work (and you should), you will still discover a funny, sweet yet weighty story of a family trying to make it in this day and age. Highly recommended (4.5 stars).
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 4/19/16. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Battle of Trafalgar Square in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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I have this rule about books being sent to me - I try to read and review them all, because people spent time, effort and resources to write and share their works with readers. I received this book through a giveaway on LibraryThing almost a year ago, and decided it was time to give it a go.
This being said, my readers are the most important thing in the world, and my reviews simply cannot be compromised, no matter how I have gotten a certain book in my hands.
I think I should stop babbling now, and start talking about this book.
I dived into ‘’The Battle of Trafalgar Square’ not knowing what to expect. This is a book where two pigeons are the main characters and through dialogue and presentation they share this historic battle, but from their point of view.
It is lucky that this book is only 120 pages long, because otherwise I wouldn’t have finished it. It is a boring book, where one pigeon is desperately trying to tell this story of the battle, and the other pigeon is disturbingly annoying and keeps interrupting. The second pigeon also has terrible grammar knowledge, and even though I know this made purposely done, and I applaud the author for the wittiness, I couldn’t make myself enjoy it. Some people might find this funny though, and that’s also okay.
The idea of pigeons telling a story is quite interesting and unique to me, and this is something I admire about this book (therefore, the two stars I decided to give). However, the plot is unstable, and the story keeps being interrupted and delayed to a point where I started to get fed up. I also expected some more references of the actual historical moment. The only references in the book are the pigeons that were in the battle and had names of famous leaders, but their pigeon story was not similar to our history books. I really think that keeping the story as close as possible to the real event would have made a difference in this book.
<b>Not an enjoyable read for me, but if the plot sounds like something you might enjoy - I say go for it. Try it out. Your opinion is also valid!</b>
Until next time! x
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-8.png"/>;
I have this rule about books being sent to me - I try to read and review them all, because people spent time, effort and resources to write and share their works with readers. I received this book through a giveaway on LibraryThing almost a year ago, and decided it was time to give it a go.
This being said, my readers are the most important thing in the world, and my reviews simply cannot be compromised, no matter how I have gotten a certain book in my hands.
I think I should stop babbling now, and start talking about this book.
I dived into ‘’The Battle of Trafalgar Square’ not knowing what to expect. This is a book where two pigeons are the main characters and through dialogue and presentation they share this historic battle, but from their point of view.
It is lucky that this book is only 120 pages long, because otherwise I wouldn’t have finished it. It is a boring book, where one pigeon is desperately trying to tell this story of the battle, and the other pigeon is disturbingly annoying and keeps interrupting. The second pigeon also has terrible grammar knowledge, and even though I know this made purposely done, and I applaud the author for the wittiness, I couldn’t make myself enjoy it. Some people might find this funny though, and that’s also okay.
The idea of pigeons telling a story is quite interesting and unique to me, and this is something I admire about this book (therefore, the two stars I decided to give). However, the plot is unstable, and the story keeps being interrupted and delayed to a point where I started to get fed up. I also expected some more references of the actual historical moment. The only references in the book are the pigeons that were in the battle and had names of famous leaders, but their pigeon story was not similar to our history books. I really think that keeping the story as close as possible to the real event would have made a difference in this book.
<b>Not an enjoyable read for me, but if the plot sounds like something you might enjoy - I say go for it. Try it out. Your opinion is also valid!</b>
Until next time! x
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Bad News Belinda in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Bad News Belinda by Stewart Martin Johnson is an amazingly cute little childrens book of only about thirty pages or so. Each page only has an average of about one sentence which makes it a very easy read. For some reason, it brought back memories of Amelia Bedelia from my childhood, but that may just be because of the name.
Aunt Belinda coming to stay for a visit is one of those visits that we all come to dread. In some way, most people can probably relate to having a relative that they are less than enthusiastic to see but hopefully they are not as bad as Belinda. When Belinda is around the children have to hide their candy and clean while Belinda either sits around or makes a mess of things.
Belinda doesn't do fun things with the children like the other aunts do, instead, she makes things miserable for them. The other Aunts help the children plan to get rid of Belinda, but Belinda overhears them. After everyone tells Belinda what they really think of her she leaves on her own and the children have a party with the good aunts.
What I liked best was how the artwork and the story worked very well together. For childrens books, I feel it is very important that the artwork and the story work together. This book is a wonderful example of that. When Belinda is around the coloring is darker, messy, and has a negative feeling, but it is bright, happy, and cheerful when she is gone. If I had to choose something that I didnt like it would be how everyone told Belinda they did not like her. However, seeing as how Belinda being a problem was kind of the whole point of the book it's not really a negative.
The target readers for this book are any children who like to be read to and young beginning readers. As an adult I also found this book to be fun and enjoyed reading it to my children. That being said I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. This is because everything about this book is great. The short sentences and overall length do not intimidate young readers. The artwork is spot on with the tones of the book. It has some funny and silly moments such as Belinda eating a goldfish and some very nice rhymes.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/bad-news-belinda
Aunt Belinda coming to stay for a visit is one of those visits that we all come to dread. In some way, most people can probably relate to having a relative that they are less than enthusiastic to see but hopefully they are not as bad as Belinda. When Belinda is around the children have to hide their candy and clean while Belinda either sits around or makes a mess of things.
Belinda doesn't do fun things with the children like the other aunts do, instead, she makes things miserable for them. The other Aunts help the children plan to get rid of Belinda, but Belinda overhears them. After everyone tells Belinda what they really think of her she leaves on her own and the children have a party with the good aunts.
What I liked best was how the artwork and the story worked very well together. For childrens books, I feel it is very important that the artwork and the story work together. This book is a wonderful example of that. When Belinda is around the coloring is darker, messy, and has a negative feeling, but it is bright, happy, and cheerful when she is gone. If I had to choose something that I didnt like it would be how everyone told Belinda they did not like her. However, seeing as how Belinda being a problem was kind of the whole point of the book it's not really a negative.
The target readers for this book are any children who like to be read to and young beginning readers. As an adult I also found this book to be fun and enjoyed reading it to my children. That being said I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. This is because everything about this book is great. The short sentences and overall length do not intimidate young readers. The artwork is spot on with the tones of the book. It has some funny and silly moments such as Belinda eating a goldfish and some very nice rhymes.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/bad-news-belinda