Review of “Nineteen Eighty Four” or “1984” by George Orwell (1949)
Bottom line: Definitely worth a read, as it explores timeless topics such as power, inequality, and control. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1948 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of “Negative Utopia” – […]
Review of Timekeeper by Heather Albano (2012)
Bottom line: A very strong sequel to Timepiece, and a very fun read. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: An alternate history adventure featuring time travelers, freedom fighters, Frankenstein’s monster, the Battle of Waterloo, and Napoleon invading Britain by dirigible. — In Timepiece, young adventurer Elizabeth Barton and her suitor William Carrington used a mysterious pocket watch […]
Zombie Twofer
First, let me preface this by saying that I’m not really into zombies. Most zombie movies are reviewed enthusiastically for me by my husband, followed by a “and you should never watch it”. What can I say? I’m a wimp about violence. However, I thoroughly enjoyed these two books, and they continue to make the […]
Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth (2011) (Divergent Book 1)
Bottom line: Reading Divergent is like watching a good action movie: it’s not really about the plot, it’s about the heroes and their journey. Rating: Recommended Blurb: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), […]
My Favorite Ray Bradbury Books
I found out today that Ray Bradbury died yesterday (June 5, 2012) at age 91 – not bad! He wrote one of my favorite books (Fahrenheit 451), so I wanted to give a brief tribute here. What better way to remember him than by reading some of his works? Here are some of my favorites: […]
Review of The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
Bottom line: Fast paced action, compelling characters, unexpected twists and turns in the plot and an all around great read for all three books. Rating: Strongly Recommended Review: The Hunger Games books are intense. I read all three books in one night, racing from one to the next to see how it was all going […]
Review of The Hidden Institute by Brand Gamblin (2011) Free Audiobook
Bottom line: Great story, great characters, great narration, and it’s available as a free audiobook! Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: Rising above your station can be deadly. Cliffy is a child born on the streets of a Neo-Victorian world. Witnesses to a murder, he blackmails a nobleman, receiving a unique bribe. In exchange for his silence, […]
Review of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (1987) (Dirk Gently Book 1)
Bottom line: Not up to Douglas Adams’s usual standard. Worth a try if you’re a big fan of his other work. Rating: Recommended IF – you are a Douglas Adams fan Blurb: There is a long tradition of Great Detectives, and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. But his search for a missing cat […]
Review of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (2011) (The Steampunk Chronicles – Book 1)
Bottom line: An intriguing first full-length installment of the series. I had a few complaints about the writing, but the story was very entertaining. I’d recommend reading The Strange Case of Finley Jayne first (although you don’t need it for The Girl in the Steel Corset to make sense) because it’s free and if you […]
Review of The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (Steampunk Chronicles – Prequel) (2011)
Bottom line: This novella is a wonderful introduction not only to the Steampunk Chronicles series, but to the steampunk genre itself. If you’ve been wanting to try out steampunk, wondered what it was, or just want a fun, well written book to read, give this one a shot. Also, it’s free! Update 7/1/2013: Not currently […]