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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated A Game of Thrones in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I've been reviewing books online for nearly a year now... and in that time I have finished every book I have started and more-or-less enjoyed every book and given positive reviews.
But this book has put an end to that. As a fan of writers such as Joe Abercrombie who cite this series and George R R Martin as a big influence, I thought I should give this a read. After all, with so many plaudits and a hit television show it couldn't be that bad, could it.
Unfortunately it could. I liked the prologue - that was interesting to read and had some good writing and interesting characters in it. The one star is purely for this part of the book. Treat it as a short story and ignore the rest of the weighty tome and you won't go far wrong.
From this point forward nothing works. I can see that Martin was trying to inject a bit of reality and grit into fantasy, though it could be argues it had not exactly been all sunlight, dancing elves and heroes with rippling muscles for several decades so I don't see it as the massive change in direction it has been touted as in some quarters.
What we have is a succession of dreary, uninteresting characters taking part in a series of dull and stilted conversations attempting to create some sort of dramatic tension simply by existing. And then quite often there will be sex, not for any reason other than it seems this is what Martin thinks makes characters interesting. And the sex scenes are really, really awful. They read as if an over-excited 15 year old boy has written them.
The structure - where each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character - probably sounded really good on paper. But the end result is almost impossible to read as there is no continuity between sections that are dealing with the same characters, So for the first half of every chapter the reader is trying to get to grips with the new main character while also working out which kingdom they are in and how they related to the many, many other characters. It's just plain too confusing and exhausting as an actual narrative device.
And the characters themselves... I was expecting Martin to try everything possible to avoid any of the usual tropes, but no. Accepted there are no magicians, elves or pure-hearted swashbuckling heroes. But what is left is just the usual supporting cast - the bastard half brother with a grudge, the scheming dwarf, the wronged heir to the throne... there is absolutely nothing new or inventive in any of the characters.
What this book reminded me of most was the Harry Potter series. Completely derivative, averagely written and heavily marketed fantasy stories eagerly consumed by people who don't actually read fantasy. To those who do read fantasy this is such a poor relation to the other fine works that have been published in the last 30 years it's not even worth considering.
If you have never read this, don't bother. Instead do yourself a favour and pick up something that actually has something to say and contains some truly interesting characters and worlds. Joe Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence, for example.
But this book has put an end to that. As a fan of writers such as Joe Abercrombie who cite this series and George R R Martin as a big influence, I thought I should give this a read. After all, with so many plaudits and a hit television show it couldn't be that bad, could it.
Unfortunately it could. I liked the prologue - that was interesting to read and had some good writing and interesting characters in it. The one star is purely for this part of the book. Treat it as a short story and ignore the rest of the weighty tome and you won't go far wrong.
From this point forward nothing works. I can see that Martin was trying to inject a bit of reality and grit into fantasy, though it could be argues it had not exactly been all sunlight, dancing elves and heroes with rippling muscles for several decades so I don't see it as the massive change in direction it has been touted as in some quarters.
What we have is a succession of dreary, uninteresting characters taking part in a series of dull and stilted conversations attempting to create some sort of dramatic tension simply by existing. And then quite often there will be sex, not for any reason other than it seems this is what Martin thinks makes characters interesting. And the sex scenes are really, really awful. They read as if an over-excited 15 year old boy has written them.
The structure - where each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character - probably sounded really good on paper. But the end result is almost impossible to read as there is no continuity between sections that are dealing with the same characters, So for the first half of every chapter the reader is trying to get to grips with the new main character while also working out which kingdom they are in and how they related to the many, many other characters. It's just plain too confusing and exhausting as an actual narrative device.
And the characters themselves... I was expecting Martin to try everything possible to avoid any of the usual tropes, but no. Accepted there are no magicians, elves or pure-hearted swashbuckling heroes. But what is left is just the usual supporting cast - the bastard half brother with a grudge, the scheming dwarf, the wronged heir to the throne... there is absolutely nothing new or inventive in any of the characters.
What this book reminded me of most was the Harry Potter series. Completely derivative, averagely written and heavily marketed fantasy stories eagerly consumed by people who don't actually read fantasy. To those who do read fantasy this is such a poor relation to the other fine works that have been published in the last 30 years it's not even worth considering.
If you have never read this, don't bother. Instead do yourself a favour and pick up something that actually has something to say and contains some truly interesting characters and worlds. Joe Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence, for example.
yung pueblo tells it like it is
aloha, amigos!
I've been slaving away creating wedding crafts (countdown: t-minus 44 days, sos) so I haven't been able to get 3% of the reading done that I would have usually. Seriously tho. Last year, I read 59 books or some shit. This year, EIGHT. Call the police, lock me up, throw me in the loony bin. This is a goddamn SIN, I TELL YOU. However, I've been trying to squeeze in some time in between pulling my hair out over wedding garbage to try and read as much as humanly possible. If I could read while I was sleeping, this wouldn't be a motherhecking issue. Anyways, I scored a free copy of "inward" by yung pueblo, and I'm here to let ya'll know about how amazing it is. Fasten your seat belts, ladies!
"inward" is an anthology of poems written by yung pueblo, and I love the shit out of it/him. If you're a fan of rupi kaur, stop what you're doing and put this book on your amazon wish list. The official copy won't be released until September 25, 2018 (I'm special) but the second this baby hits the shelves, it's going to sell out. Mark my words. Here's my favorite poem penned by my boy pueblo:
the forces
of the universe
support those
who work at
healing themselves
Like, okay, pueblo, we get it. You're a genius and I love you and I want to crawl inside of your brain for a day and just chill in there for a bit. You know, cuddle with your cerebellum or some shit. I love you, did I say that already? Listen to pueblo: heal yourselves, people! At least give it a shot! The universe is watching.
Set an alarm on your phones right now. Do it, I'm waiting. Because the second the hand strikes midnight on September 25, hop onto ol' amazon and pick up "inward" before the rest of the world does. And once you're finished, come back here and let's chat!
I've been slaving away creating wedding crafts (countdown: t-minus 44 days, sos) so I haven't been able to get 3% of the reading done that I would have usually. Seriously tho. Last year, I read 59 books or some shit. This year, EIGHT. Call the police, lock me up, throw me in the loony bin. This is a goddamn SIN, I TELL YOU. However, I've been trying to squeeze in some time in between pulling my hair out over wedding garbage to try and read as much as humanly possible. If I could read while I was sleeping, this wouldn't be a motherhecking issue. Anyways, I scored a free copy of "inward" by yung pueblo, and I'm here to let ya'll know about how amazing it is. Fasten your seat belts, ladies!
"inward" is an anthology of poems written by yung pueblo, and I love the shit out of it/him. If you're a fan of rupi kaur, stop what you're doing and put this book on your amazon wish list. The official copy won't be released until September 25, 2018 (I'm special) but the second this baby hits the shelves, it's going to sell out. Mark my words. Here's my favorite poem penned by my boy pueblo:
the forces
of the universe
support those
who work at
healing themselves
Like, okay, pueblo, we get it. You're a genius and I love you and I want to crawl inside of your brain for a day and just chill in there for a bit. You know, cuddle with your cerebellum or some shit. I love you, did I say that already? Listen to pueblo: heal yourselves, people! At least give it a shot! The universe is watching.
Set an alarm on your phones right now. Do it, I'm waiting. Because the second the hand strikes midnight on September 25, hop onto ol' amazon and pick up "inward" before the rest of the world does. And once you're finished, come back here and let's chat!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Every Fifteen Minutes in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book was excellent! I was thrilled to win a copy through Goodreads just based on the jacket copy. Let me tell you, this book didn't disappoint! This is only the second of Scottoline's books that I've read but I am definitely a fan now.
I could not put this book down. I didn't figure out what was REALLY going on until the second to last chapter. And even then I was shocked! I thought things were over but they weren't...not by a long shot. This is the kind of book I love and it is worth your time to check out too.
I could not put this book down. I didn't figure out what was REALLY going on until the second to last chapter. And even then I was shocked! I thought things were over but they weren't...not by a long shot. This is the kind of book I love and it is worth your time to check out too.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) in Movies
May 12, 2018
When I heard that the same guy that directed Wanted was going to direct the movie version of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, I was game. I was looking so forward to this film.
The first thing I found kind of off about the film was the casting of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Walker. He was just a little wooden, and it didn't work for me.
Now, Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturges was a great casting. Yes, I read the book, so I knew what Sturges was. The scene with Cooper wearing the pair of sunglasses? Amazing.
Overall, this alternative history was good, but not as well executed as the book.
The first thing I found kind of off about the film was the casting of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Walker. He was just a little wooden, and it didn't work for me.
Now, Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturges was a great casting. Yes, I read the book, so I knew what Sturges was. The scene with Cooper wearing the pair of sunglasses? Amazing.
Overall, this alternative history was good, but not as well executed as the book.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Passion of Artemisia in Books
Feb 15, 2019
4.5 stars
I had heard of Artemisia before but never really knew her work or much about her. I loved the way Susan Vreeland captured the spirit of Artemisia's paintings with where she is in the book. I really enjoyed looking at her paintings as I read and seeing some of her father's work and Caravaggio's using another book. I did feel that the last third felt a little rushed and wish it had actually been longer so Vreeland could have gone into more detail in the absences between the years. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now interested in reading more about Artemisia and her life and paintings.
I had heard of Artemisia before but never really knew her work or much about her. I loved the way Susan Vreeland captured the spirit of Artemisia's paintings with where she is in the book. I really enjoyed looking at her paintings as I read and seeing some of her father's work and Caravaggio's using another book. I did feel that the last third felt a little rushed and wish it had actually been longer so Vreeland could have gone into more detail in the absences between the years. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now interested in reading more about Artemisia and her life and paintings.
starwarsluvr (236 KP) rated The Trail of Terror: Horror at the Lake (A Vampire Tale #2) in Books
Jan 30, 2018
This one was just as good as the first even though it was a lot different from the first. Not as much humor in this one as the first but just as much amazing plots. The twists and problems that came for Susan were very interesting. I loved the fact that not everything was easy now that she was a vampire. I felt bad for her in many places because of the other vampire doing what they were doing to her, but loved that she fought back. Very good author and series. Big thank you to the author for picking me to read and review this series.
LET ME JUST TELL YOU. I have been an avid fan of Gilmore Girls for as long as I can remember. I have watched the entire series from start to finish at least 3 times now. And this book. THIS BOOK. I feel MORE connected to the show than I have ever before. I feel more connected to the characters. I feel just... satisfied. But at the same time I need to know more.
I laughed. I cried. I felt inspired. If you are even the slightest fan of Gilmore Girls or Lauren Graham in general, READ. THIS. BOOK. It is vital.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l2YWllJgWdaurVQoU/giphy.gif">;
I laughed. I cried. I felt inspired. If you are even the slightest fan of Gilmore Girls or Lauren Graham in general, READ. THIS. BOOK. It is vital.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l2YWllJgWdaurVQoU/giphy.gif">;
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled (Puzzle Lady #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The Puzzle Lady is back and dealing with stolen chairs, charges of plagiarism, and being framed for murder. And to think she was complaining about being bored. I was impressed with how everything was tied together in the end. My only real complaint here was that the witty banter between characters I normally love had too much of an angry tent to it for the first half of the book. Still, there were plenty of laughs. Now, if only Dennis would die soon I'd really be happy.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-you-have-right-to-remain.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-you-have-right-to-remain.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Clare Parrott (294 KP) rated Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Brilliant, another great read from Lisa Renee Jones. This is the first of 2 books, In this book we learn Amy is the only member of her family to survive a fire and is in witness protection. Then her handler contacts her to say shes been rumbled and must leave everything she knows behind and start a new life but shes starts to have doubts on who she can trust.
I enjoyed this book from the very first page and couldn't put it down. Just who can Amy trust? I've still no idea and now I've got to wait 2 months to find out! Roll on book 2
I enjoyed this book from the very first page and couldn't put it down. Just who can Amy trust? I've still no idea and now I've got to wait 2 months to find out! Roll on book 2
Ross (3284 KP) rated Cable & Deadpool Vol. 2: The Burnt Offering in Books
Oct 18, 2018
This collection follows on from volume 1 (obviously). The events in that story arc have enhanced Cable's powers and he is now a Godlike figure. Weirdly similar to the Steven Erikson's Rejoice which I read at the same time, Cable uses his powers to help the human race and is treated with suspicion and attempts to stop him helping.
There is decent interaction with the X-Men as well as a number of minor supers all trying to stop Cable, but it really comes down to Deadpool to save the day.
Much more Deadpool content here than in vol 1 and more humour, which is needed to cut through Cable's nonsense.
There is decent interaction with the X-Men as well as a number of minor supers all trying to stop Cable, but it really comes down to Deadpool to save the day.
Much more Deadpool content here than in vol 1 and more humour, which is needed to cut through Cable's nonsense.