Archive for the ‘Authors & Books’ Category

RIP Christopher Hitchens


16 Dec

Christopher Hitchens has passed away. He found out not that long ago that he had late stage, aggressive cancer. He kept writing up until the end.

As a devout atheist, Hitch never asked for prayers or a miracle beyond what modern medicine could give him. He was often more extreme in his anti-religion vehemence than I am, but he was a clear voice, a strong one, for those of us who do not believe.

And he’s proof you don’t need an immortal soul to live past your death. His writing will keep him with us for a very long time.

Book Review: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Karrelyn Sparks


18 Nov

This was one of the e-books I got for free when I got my e-reader last year. I’d started reading it months and months ago, but put it down and did not pick it up again until this week. That’s nothing against the author or the book. This is a fun supernatural romance. Okay, I think there’s supposed to be some elements of a romantic thriller in there, but I found it a little too cheesy to ever feel the threat.

And that’s okay for me. I prefer my romances not take themselves too seriously, and this one did not.

Book Review: Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi


15 Nov

What if friendly aliens arrived at Earth, and instead of contacting the government of any nation, they instead contacted the head of one of the biggest talent agencies inHollywood, in order to determine the best way to introduce themselves to the planet? That is the premise behind Agent to the Stars. It’s a fun premise (especially in the days of Entrouage and Ari Gold), and makes for a fun book.

It is also an example of self-publishing that works, as the novel was originally made available by the author, online, with a suggested donation of $1. He received $4,000.

Book Review: The Professor & the Madman by Simon Winchester


13 Nov

The full title is The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. Honestly, that covers just about everything you need to know. If the title intrigues you, you’ll enjoy the book. If the mentioning of the world’s largest dictionary turns you off, don’t bother.

Most of the time I was reading this book, I had also had two little dogs crawling over me trying to get attention. The writing was engaging and clear. I could put it down whenever I needed and never had a problem picking it back up.

Book Review: Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter


01 Nov

Dewey is not the story of a cat. It is the story of librarian and co-writer Vicki Myron. There is nothing wrong with this. The “dogoir”, as it’s come to be called, is hugely popular form of memoir that uses a dog as it’s focal point. Dewey is a “catoir”.

It was an easy to read book, and I love animals, so stories about them engage me. In person I probably would have been one of Dewey’s fans, however, the book just wasn’t that interesting to me. Not every pet, not even ones lots of people love, needs a book.

Book Review: Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil & Kaja Foglio


15 Oct

This is the written novelization of the first two volumes of the Girl Genius graphic novels. In other words, if you are already a fan, there is nothing new here, at least not technically. But I still recommend reading it, and not just from a “completist” perspective.

There are things that can be done in a traditional novel that can not be accomplished in a graphic novel (and vice versa), including some deeper character introspection.

This was a fun, fast read, and I hope that Phil & Kaja Foglio are able to do more novelizations of the Girl Genius stories.

Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein


19 Sep

This is the most basic of stories, a family drama, told from the point of view of the most biased observer- the family dog. It is a really well done story, and the short sentences and chapters make it a very quick read, a nice way to spend a rainy Seattle afternoon.

My only issue with the book (and this may be a “me” issue, as I seem to have it often) is the final chapter, which was more of an epilogue. It was too much a perfect dream ending to a book that had been very based in reality.

Book Review: The Dragon Waiting by John M Ford


12 Sep

I love John M Ford’s writing. He has a distinctive style, especially in his earlier novels, of telling stories from multiple people’s viewpoints. He takes each individual’s story and wraps the whole narrative together, often skipping large amounts of time and leaving the reader to piece together what happened.

This can be a very successful and rewarding (for the reader) style. Not so much in The Dragon Waiting. I had a hard time figuring out some of the background or understanding why I cared about the outcome. Not one I’ll be recommending (unlike The Last Hot Time which is fabulous).

Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman


02 Sep

I would like to be as talented as Neil Gaiman. Is that too much to ask? Writing wise, it seems the man’s talent knows no bounds. He can write dark and gritty, very adult, adventure, and even win the Newberry Medal for children’s books. It really doesn’t seem fair.

But at least I can read what he writes, and I’ll take that as compensation. The Graveyard Book is a story of the fantastical that children of all ages can relate to, a true coming of age tale filled with friends and family, a few secrets, and even some bad guys.

Books > TV


31 Aug

One of the (not surprising) benefits of no longer having the deluxe cable package  is that  we’re reading more. We still have some cable, but getting in the habit of not having the TV on means that we don’t turn it on when we’re bored or for background noise.
Instead, we play music and pick up a book. I’ve read two complete books in the last week and have started on another.
I’m enjoying the having the TV off. Somehow, it makes the day seem slower paced, more relaxing, when I pick up a book instead of flipping through channels.

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