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From German Cavalry Officer to Reconnaissance Pilot: The World War I History, Memories, and Photographs of Leonhard Rempe, 1914-1921
Book
Twentyoneyearold Leonhard Rempe volunteered to serve Germany in 1914. By the time World War One...
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Dark Nights: Metal in Books
Nov 30, 2020
So, here's how I am gonna open this review.. With a kinda-sorta-but-not-reeeaaallly Spoiler: it's got a scene with <i>frikkin' Batman</i> riding a <b>DINOSAUR</b> (a T-Rex or Allosaurus)! Look, even you are one of those self-proclaimed haters of all things METAL-related, it's <u>the @#$% BATMAN on a #$@ing DINOSAUR</u>! If that ain't enough to get you excited, well, then, go watch an episode of SAVED BY THE BELL! instead, because that's more your speed!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL (as well as the prequel pieces, THE FORGE and THE CASTING) was one hell of an entertaining ride! It was clear that Scott Snyder had a great appreciation for the events of old, offering us a leaner event than Marvel has in the last five years! Sure, there was some hiccups along the way, and that is nearly truly for anything piece of literature. However, the hiccups were not enough to take away from the love and care that Snyder and Capullo put into this decidely scary (in an EVENT HORIZON or HELLRAISER-kinda way) yet highly interesting!
This was a tale spun out of FINAL CRISIS and 52, with ties as far back as CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH! Yet, it also showed some of the intricacies at play since Dr. Manhattan's "tinkering" (Man, I hope DOOMSDAY CLOCK gets finished before I die)! Yes, sometimes as the adventure unfolds, there may be a moment here or there where you'll be like, "Um, that's just not something that'd happen!". Well, duh, it's a comic book, silly! If you can hit [PAUSE] on the UberCriticalComicFan sub-routine in your brain, you might find that this is actually pretty damned good stuff! You can clearly see the love and attention put into this by both the writer and the artist alike!
Speaking of which..
Greg Capullo was a great choice to partner up with Snyder for this! His art is tight, yet creepy and foreboding! There were several moments throughout where I was just like, "Holy cow!". It honestly felt like a good DC movie (not like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN)!
Look, at the end of the day, here's what you've got: one hell of a good hero story, something any non-Trump supporters could use right about now! It's just Good vs. Evil, plain and simple! If that ain't the basis for a good story, then, heck, I don't know what is!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL (as well as the prequel pieces, THE FORGE and THE CASTING) was one hell of an entertaining ride! It was clear that Scott Snyder had a great appreciation for the events of old, offering us a leaner event than Marvel has in the last five years! Sure, there was some hiccups along the way, and that is nearly truly for anything piece of literature. However, the hiccups were not enough to take away from the love and care that Snyder and Capullo put into this decidely scary (in an EVENT HORIZON or HELLRAISER-kinda way) yet highly interesting!
This was a tale spun out of FINAL CRISIS and 52, with ties as far back as CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH! Yet, it also showed some of the intricacies at play since Dr. Manhattan's "tinkering" (Man, I hope DOOMSDAY CLOCK gets finished before I die)! Yes, sometimes as the adventure unfolds, there may be a moment here or there where you'll be like, "Um, that's just not something that'd happen!". Well, duh, it's a comic book, silly! If you can hit [PAUSE] on the UberCriticalComicFan sub-routine in your brain, you might find that this is actually pretty damned good stuff! You can clearly see the love and attention put into this by both the writer and the artist alike!
Speaking of which..
Greg Capullo was a great choice to partner up with Snyder for this! His art is tight, yet creepy and foreboding! There were several moments throughout where I was just like, "Holy cow!". It honestly felt like a good DC movie (not like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN)!
Look, at the end of the day, here's what you've got: one hell of a good hero story, something any non-Trump supporters could use right about now! It's just Good vs. Evil, plain and simple! If that ain't the basis for a good story, then, heck, I don't know what is!
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Entertainment and Education
App
A masterly app...As accessible as it is scholarly, it’s an extraordinary achievement, that brings...
New Collected Poems
Tomas Transtromer and Robin Fulton
Book Watch
Winner of 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature Poetry Book Society Recommended Translation Tomas...
Poetry
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius
Book
The extraordinary life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the eighteenth-century literary genius who changed...
Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages
6.0
Rate It
Book
Susan Schwake's Art Lab for Kids is a well-thought-out guide, making it easy to introduce art into...
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Walking Dead (Walker Papers, #4) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Normally I don't care for zombies in my fantasy literature - the ick factor is just too high for me. (I don't do horror movies, either.) This book is probably the first exception as Joanne disliked them as much as I do. I love that she now as a better sense of what she is doing with her shamanic abilities, and she has even studied a few things related to this so that she is better prepared for future needs. It seems to me that as Joanne better understands the mechanics of what she is doing, the better I, as the reader, can understand them, too.
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5).
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5).
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated The Martian Chronicles in Books
May 30, 2019
I have some feelings about Ray Bradbury.
I understand why he is so well loved. I understand his importance in literature and in science fiction. I just don't like reading him. It's something I can't fully explain. I generally enjoy his stories and his ideas. He paints a beautiful portrait with his words, relying as much on the landscape as he does his characters, which I am normally really into. I like being able to peek into the social structure of the early days of science fiction to see how people envisioned the future and by extension, how they saw themselves. For some unknown reason though, I can never get myself settled and engrossed in a Bradbury story.
The Martian Chronicles has some highlights, to be sure. Favorites include <i>The Earth Men</i>, <i>Way in the Middle of the Air</i> and <i>Usher II</i> come immediately to mind. As simply a collection of short stories, I think I would like it more, but since he decided to thread them loosely together, it causes more trouble than it gains. Because of the nature of the narrative, we get a sort of dreamlike quality to the story. Rules that work in one story may not work in the next. The image of martian life that we are treated to seems a bit arbitrary and dependent on the tale that surrounds it at any given moment. And that's fine! It makes sense given that they were different stories published at different times. But there's nothing that really pulls them together into a cohesive unit.
The characters can at times, be a bit infuriating. The naivety and undisciplined behavior of many of the explorers irked me. <i>The Earth Men,</i> despite being one of my favorite stories, is the most egregious offender. An expedition to a new planet, especially one immediately after a failed one in which everyone died, is upset that none of the natives are thrilled with their presence? Their first and only concern is finding pats on the back? The redeeming factor in this story is the conclusion, which I find justified and well deserved. Maybe Mr. Xxx is right. (Which leads me to my frustration with Martian naming conventions throughout the various stories, but that's neither here nor there.)
Despite my grievances, I still appreciate the lofty ideas Bradbury puts forth and the perspective he brings. Maybe I'm too heavy into modern, harder SF to find solace in the whimsical worlds he presents here. I know it has it's place, that place just isn't with me.
I understand why he is so well loved. I understand his importance in literature and in science fiction. I just don't like reading him. It's something I can't fully explain. I generally enjoy his stories and his ideas. He paints a beautiful portrait with his words, relying as much on the landscape as he does his characters, which I am normally really into. I like being able to peek into the social structure of the early days of science fiction to see how people envisioned the future and by extension, how they saw themselves. For some unknown reason though, I can never get myself settled and engrossed in a Bradbury story.
The Martian Chronicles has some highlights, to be sure. Favorites include <i>The Earth Men</i>, <i>Way in the Middle of the Air</i> and <i>Usher II</i> come immediately to mind. As simply a collection of short stories, I think I would like it more, but since he decided to thread them loosely together, it causes more trouble than it gains. Because of the nature of the narrative, we get a sort of dreamlike quality to the story. Rules that work in one story may not work in the next. The image of martian life that we are treated to seems a bit arbitrary and dependent on the tale that surrounds it at any given moment. And that's fine! It makes sense given that they were different stories published at different times. But there's nothing that really pulls them together into a cohesive unit.
The characters can at times, be a bit infuriating. The naivety and undisciplined behavior of many of the explorers irked me. <i>The Earth Men,</i> despite being one of my favorite stories, is the most egregious offender. An expedition to a new planet, especially one immediately after a failed one in which everyone died, is upset that none of the natives are thrilled with their presence? Their first and only concern is finding pats on the back? The redeeming factor in this story is the conclusion, which I find justified and well deserved. Maybe Mr. Xxx is right. (Which leads me to my frustration with Martian naming conventions throughout the various stories, but that's neither here nor there.)
Despite my grievances, I still appreciate the lofty ideas Bradbury puts forth and the perspective he brings. Maybe I'm too heavy into modern, harder SF to find solace in the whimsical worlds he presents here. I know it has it's place, that place just isn't with me.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Storm Track (Deborah Knott Mysteries, #7) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Hurricane Fran is barrelling down toward Judge Deborah Knott's Colleton County, but that isn't even the worst of it. A young woman is found murdered in town: Lynn Bullock was the wife of Jason Bullock, a lawyer in Colleton. It looks like Lynn's philandering has finally caught up with her. Deborah begins her own investigation -- mostly in attempt to make sure that her cousin, Reed, who was involved with Lynn, wasn't also a part of her murder. But as Deborah keeps digging, she finds that Lynn and Jason's story goes much deeper and links in with many of the townspeople of Colleton County. When someone else turns up dead, Deborah knows there is more to Lynn's death than meets the eye.
Goodreads tells me that I haven't picked up one of Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott mysteries since 2009, which is hard to believe, because reading one of these cozy mystery novels is always easy and familiar. My kids and I have been participating in our library's Summer Reads program, and this year the program gives away free books to adults, too! (How cool is that?) I chose a Maron book for June's prize and quickly realized how long it had been since I read a Deborah Knott mystery--and how many books I'd need to read to catch up with the one I picked up (#13, I think).
So here we are. I have a soft spot for Maron's mysteries due to my love of southern literature. She has a lovely and easy way of capturing her southern characters--their drawls, their southern ways, the complicated (yet simple) sprawling nature of Deborah's large extended family. This novel features a sweet young boy named Stan, who easily steals the show, as well as Deborah's typical interactions with her family and friends. While I always feel like trouble finds Deborah awfully easily (the murder rate in Colleton County is awfully high), these books are enjoyable, quick reads. Even after all these years, it was easy to pick back up again with Deborah and her clan. Deborah's sleuthing isn't particularly complicated--and the ending was fairly quick, with a twist that I had started to guess--but it was still a comfortable mystery. I always enjoy Deborah and will try to keep catching up with the series over the next few months. Oh who are we kidding... years. I still have a ways to go before I catch up and can read that free book from the library's program!
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
Goodreads tells me that I haven't picked up one of Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott mysteries since 2009, which is hard to believe, because reading one of these cozy mystery novels is always easy and familiar. My kids and I have been participating in our library's Summer Reads program, and this year the program gives away free books to adults, too! (How cool is that?) I chose a Maron book for June's prize and quickly realized how long it had been since I read a Deborah Knott mystery--and how many books I'd need to read to catch up with the one I picked up (#13, I think).
So here we are. I have a soft spot for Maron's mysteries due to my love of southern literature. She has a lovely and easy way of capturing her southern characters--their drawls, their southern ways, the complicated (yet simple) sprawling nature of Deborah's large extended family. This novel features a sweet young boy named Stan, who easily steals the show, as well as Deborah's typical interactions with her family and friends. While I always feel like trouble finds Deborah awfully easily (the murder rate in Colleton County is awfully high), these books are enjoyable, quick reads. Even after all these years, it was easy to pick back up again with Deborah and her clan. Deborah's sleuthing isn't particularly complicated--and the ending was fairly quick, with a twist that I had started to guess--but it was still a comfortable mystery. I always enjoy Deborah and will try to keep catching up with the series over the next few months. Oh who are we kidding... years. I still have a ways to go before I catch up and can read that free book from the library's program!
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
Kayleigh (12 KP) rated Changeling (Order of Darkness, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I knew I had to read this book after this <a href="http://busyteacher.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/changeling-by-philippa-gregory-book-review/">review</a>; alerted me to Philippa Gregory’s foray into YA literature. I’m definitely a fan of her writing, having read a couple of her books, the most impressive, in my opinion, being The Other Boleyn Girl. I am a complete history geek, and had really high hopes, as I’m usually kept transfixed.
For the most part, I enjoyed it. I liked the mysteries that seemed difficult to explain, and the sense of injustice felt at Isolde’s plight (a very plausible situation, back then) kept me interested throughout the book at what would become of her. It was also good when various characters (and not just Luca) were able to shed some light on the piece of the puzzle – it made it seem a little more realistic. I really liked the character of Freize, and how he reacts around pretty much everyone!
However, there was some sort of sparkle missing, especially given my expectations of the author. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was this morning, when I finished the book, but I think I’ve got the gist now. This may be my natural cynicism, but it seemed as though Luca and Isolde were both a little too perfect – they’re both great looking and have sexual chemistry, which, given that it’s supposed to be staying relatively historically accurate, doesn’t seem entirely appropriate, unless in later books they manage to resist each other.
Then, there are some moments that are only half-arsedly explained. <spoiler>Firstly, it is suggested that Freize did not, as he said, release them from the dungeon, but no reason is given for this. Then, the werewolf is given as a little boy lost years before. All well and good, but can a wild child really be mistaken for an animal? I must admit, it stretched my imagination a little far!</spoiler>
Despite my criticism though, it wasn’t a bad book, and I probably would read the other books in the series. The Changeling aspect was barely touched upon, which is odd considering it’s the title of the book! The plot was good, and if the character development gets a little better, I will probably be rating them higher than this one!
This review is also on my <a href="http://awowords.wordpress.com">blog</a>;. If you liked it, please check it out!
For the most part, I enjoyed it. I liked the mysteries that seemed difficult to explain, and the sense of injustice felt at Isolde’s plight (a very plausible situation, back then) kept me interested throughout the book at what would become of her. It was also good when various characters (and not just Luca) were able to shed some light on the piece of the puzzle – it made it seem a little more realistic. I really liked the character of Freize, and how he reacts around pretty much everyone!
However, there was some sort of sparkle missing, especially given my expectations of the author. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was this morning, when I finished the book, but I think I’ve got the gist now. This may be my natural cynicism, but it seemed as though Luca and Isolde were both a little too perfect – they’re both great looking and have sexual chemistry, which, given that it’s supposed to be staying relatively historically accurate, doesn’t seem entirely appropriate, unless in later books they manage to resist each other.
Then, there are some moments that are only half-arsedly explained. <spoiler>Firstly, it is suggested that Freize did not, as he said, release them from the dungeon, but no reason is given for this. Then, the werewolf is given as a little boy lost years before. All well and good, but can a wild child really be mistaken for an animal? I must admit, it stretched my imagination a little far!</spoiler>
Despite my criticism though, it wasn’t a bad book, and I probably would read the other books in the series. The Changeling aspect was barely touched upon, which is odd considering it’s the title of the book! The plot was good, and if the character development gets a little better, I will probably be rating them higher than this one!
This review is also on my <a href="http://awowords.wordpress.com">blog</a>;. If you liked it, please check it out!