Review of The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes (1981) (Richard Jury Series)
Bottom line: A pleasant and intriguing read with a few murders thrown in for good measure. Rating: Recommended Blurb: At the Man with a Load of Mischief, they found the dead body stuck in a keg of beer. At the Jack and Hammer, another body was stuck out on the beam of the pub’s sign, […]
Review of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin (1969)
Bottom line: Meh. Rating: Recommended if: you’re doing a tour of classic sci fi authors. Blurb: When the human ambassador Genly Ai is sent to Gethen, the planet known as Winter by those outsiders who have experienced its arctic climate, he thinks that his mission will be a standard one of making peace between warring […]
Review of A Fine Romance (2013) by Susan Branch
Bottom line: A peaceful armchair journey for a rainy afternoon. Rating: Recommended If you’re in the mood for a vicarious wander through southern England. Review: The full title of this book is, “A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside” and you will do just that, I promise you. For anyone who has […]
Book Review: Matt Archer: Monster Hunter by Kendra Highley
Bottom Line: A gritty YA fantasy definitely worth the read. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: Fourteen-year-old Matt Archer spends his days studying Algebra, hanging out with his best friend and crushing on the Goddess of Greenhill High, Ella Mitchell. To be honest, he thinks his life is pretty lame until he discovers something terrifying on a […]
Review of The Martian by Andy Weir (2012)
Bottom line: Highly recommended for sci-fi fans and/or survivalists. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking […]
Review of Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (2007) (Kate Daniels #1)
Bottom line: Good, but gruesome Rating: Recommended Blurb: Earning a living cleaning up magical messes, mercenary Kate Daniels is drawn into a power struggle between two factions–necromancers and shapeshifters–within Atlanta’s magic circles when her guardian is murdered. Review: This is one of those books that makes me wish I were WAY more desensitized to violence. […]
Reading List: Pipe Dream Edition
One of my pipe dreams is to get to travel to all of the continents. And not just the easy ones, either. Nope, I want to make it to Antarctica. I often get asked why. Why wouldn’t you want to go to Antarctica? Penguins! Icebergs! Whales! Unspoiled nature! Etc.! Since it’s somewhat unlikely I’ll actually […]
Review of Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert (1992) (China Bayles Series)
Bottom line: Okay Rating: Recommended if: you’re looking for a light mystery, or have a connection to the Texas Hill Country Blurb: China Bayles has it all – a prestigious Houston law practice, money, power – but it’s not enough. She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s confident, and she knows she wants something more out of […]
Review of Sorcery and Cecelia
Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) (Cecelia and Kate #1) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer Bottom line: Delightful Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: In 1817 in England, two young cousins, Cecilia living in the country and Kate in London, write letters to keep each other informed of their exploits, which take […]
Review of C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy
Review: C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strengthh) is the most disjointed trilogy I have ever read. That’s not to say it isn’t worth reading, or even good, but it feels more like a very loosely related collection of books than a trilogy. What makes it feel so […]