jroberts3456's reviews
446 reviews

A front to back delight and book like no other. Easily one of the best books written so far this century, and I don’t say that lightly. Murray’s seemingly disparate themes are wound together in surprising ways that pay off wonderfully. Lyrical, poignant, hilarious, and heartbreaking.

There’s a lot of great stuff here and a lot of not so great stuff. A lot of the stories are shockingly emotional and poignant and the book as a whole is worth reading for those 8-10 stories alone. On top of those works of brilliance, there are about another 10-15 really good and solid yarns that add depth to the Star Wars universe. But there’s a lot of meh stuff too. The book spends an inordinate amount of time on Tatooine and the cantina, and seeing the same moment from the film get replayed over and over does get a bit tiresome. Still, overall this is a fun experiment and since the proceeds go to a worthy cause I don’t regret buying or reading.

What’s there to say? A book about friendship, dreams, sacrifice, love, and commitment. It’s a warning, a dare, an ode, a portrait. It’s also a textbook, a sort of “how not to.” Psychologically fascinating, it paints an image of a man obsessed, a man tortured, a man trapped by his own shortcomings and narcissism. Whatever else it is, it’s a story of success, whatever that is. As fascinating as its subject as baffling.

Three solid but not great stories and one meh offering. Hill certainly has a wonderful imagination but none of the stories ever quite reached their potential, although Snapshot and Rain certainly come close. A decent enough read but nowhere near as powerful or great as Hill’s previous offerings.

An action packed romp that delivers everything you want from science fiction. Hough does an excellent job at turning Bond into a sci-fi hero and packing his novel with enough twists and turns to keep you reading until dawn. Terrifically fun.

Outstanding achievement. I read this novel in two intense bursts over a 24 hour period. Impossible to put down, and when I had to it lingered in the back of my mind, itching to be picked up again. Ng is a writer of immeasurable skill, and here she weaves an intricate tale of suburban gothic that’s scathing and beautiful. This one will stick with me for a good long time, and I almost can’t wait to revisit it again in the future. Simply brilliant.

A bloody good time. Sternbergh has created an intricately woven cast of noir tropes and anti-heroes and thrown them into town of mystery. Part western, part noir, part sci-fi, The Blinds is full of tense action and solid mystery that’s almost impossible to put down.

At the SXSW premiere of Lords of Salem, Zombie opined that “a third of you will love it, a third of you will hate it, and a third of you won’t know what you just saw.” I was definitely in the first third. It was moody, atmospheric, bizarre. Couldn’t look away. Picked up the book on a whim and while I didn’t like it as much as the movie, it was interesting to note the differences between the works. The book is based on his original script which was notably different from what was shot. More detail is given, more insight gleaned. Quick easy and fun if you’re into this sort of thing.

A fine read you can pick up if you just need something to do for an afternoon. Ritter isn’t a great writer, though her prose is occasionally witty, but she sure can plot. Ultimately it’s all forgettable, but is real solid junk food.

I can’t believe I willed myself to finish this book. I immediately regret doing so. I hope I forget it soon.