Book Reviews
Review: “Haunted” by Kelley Armstrong
When she was alive, you didn’t fuck with Eve Levine. A half-demon witch and master of the black arts, she didn’t exactly seek opportunities to dole out pain and death, they just presented themselves on a regular basis. An unfortunate consequence of the life she chose. But she never flinched from what she had to do. Yup, in life, Eve was the biggest badass around.
In death, not so much.
Guest Review: “Lyranel’s Song” by Leslie Carmichael
Lyranel’s Song by Leslie Carmichael is a book that thoughtful children can relax into and enjoy. The action is steady without being relentless, leaving room for characters to lead lives that young girls, in particular, could imagine themselves living. The two young readers (age 11) that I field-tested the book on often interrupted to supplement the commentary or make suggestions for what characters might do, which I always consider a good sign.
Review: “Blood Bound” by Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs has the unique gift of being able to make the reader believe, for the space of 300 some pages, of her truths. That vampires, fae, werewolves, and magic makers live in tentative harmony with humankind. Her world is just like ours, only a bit more dangerous and a bit more sexy.
Review: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J. K. Rowling
It’s pretty sad when you’re 33 years old and the highlight of your year is when the next new children’s book is finally out on the market. Deciding to skip the ridiculous lines and midnight “parties,” I pre-ordered my copy online, and only had to chew the tablecloth for four hours from when I woke up at eight o’clock, till the postman finally delivered my book at noon on Saturday.
And, just like last I did with Order of the Phoenix, I forgoed (forgew? forwent?) everything, and did nothing but read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (stopping for the occasional bathroom break) until I finished Sunday afternoon.
God, I love being a geek.
Review: “Calculating God” by Robert J. Sawyer
If you read science fiction, you have to read Robert J. Sawyer. That’s all there is to it.
Calculating God explores such mundane questions as “Was the universe designed by an intelligent creator?” “Is there a God?” “Does he influence the affairs of man?” “Why is there life in the universe?” Sawyer’s answers are the most imaginative you will ever read.
Review: “The Sorority” Trilogy by Tamara Thorne
Tamara Thorne wrote The Sorority trilogy as the literary equivalent of a teen exploitation horror movie. It has dozens of girls in a sorority house, an evil sorority president, sex, ghosts, oral sex, dead football players, group sex, human sacrifice, and chipmunk sex. Reading a book like this makes me cry. In college I couldn’t get laid to save my life.
Review: William Shakespeare’s “Star Wars” (Audiobook)
Seeming like a gag gift to get for people like me — where you know that we like Star Wars but you’re not sure what exactly we already possess in our collection — William Shakespeare’s Star Wars is an audiobook full of surprising quality and intelligence that should delight any fan of The Bard or of the Beard of George Lucas.
Review: “The Republic of Thieves” by Scott Lynch
After years of anticipation and speculation, Lynch returns to the universe of his “Gentlemen Bastards” with the long-awaited third installment, The Republic of Thieves.
Was it worth the wait?
Absolutely.
