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Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen #3) by Steven Erikson
The third book in this Epic Fantasy 10 book series and here we have events that happen just after the first and the same time as the second book. The Malazan 2nd Army are on the continent of Genabackis (must try to book a holiday there after the lockdown!!) and a new superpower from the south have emerged. They are called the Pannion Seer and are like a cult that is sweeping areas.
The Malazan 2nd Army has supposedly gone rogue and has to team up with a few powers in the region to defeat the Pannion Seer. So they team up with Anomander Rake also known as the Lord of Darkness (he has to be a badass with a nickname like that!!) and Caladan Brood. Its like the USA and USSR coming together!
As the two forces come to meet each other, the Pannion Seer are besieging the city of Capustan which has its own small mercenary army protecting it. The city won't be able to hold out unless all the allies get there. Only some can get there in time and with the quick method of travelling through Warrens being disrupted, things look bleak.
So why are the Warrens being disrupted? Can Capustan hold out and can the Pannion Seer be stopped? Then, maybe there is something or someone else using all these events for their own purposes......
I think this book is a masterpiece and the best one of the three that I have read so far. I loved all 3 books but this stands out even more and I didn't think it was possible. The different plot lines can be hard to handle but now I am used to it and they all come together at the end. I loved all the battle scenes but the way everyone has a different agenda but ties together is great.
Even though the book is 1180 pages, I never felt bored and that is some writing to keep things interesting all the time. Now, its onto the next book in this series. House of Chains! Already looking forward to it!0 -
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House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen #4) by Steven Erikson
The fourth book in this series of Epic fantasy and this follows on directly from the second book Deadhouse Gates.
We start off in Northern Genabackis where we witness the rise or like an origin story of a badass warrior called Karsa Orlong. Then years later after the march known as the Chain of Dogs that was in the second book Deadhouse Gates, the new Adjunct to the Empress arrives in the last remaining stronghold of the Malazans in Seven Cities. The problem? The Sha'ik (described in the second book) has raised an army in Raraku called the Whirlwind.
The new Adjunct has not commanded an army before and has only raw recruits and some veterans leftover from the Chain of Dogs march. She doesn't know that it is her sister that is the Sha'ik!! The Sha'ik seems to have superior forces but her army has a lot of internal conflicts. Who will prevail?
Added to all this, there is a desperate struggle going on for the Throne of Shadow and also a lot of different characters having their own agenda too.
This was a different start to the other books where it focused on one character for a long while. I read that Erikson was responding to critics where they said he doesn't focus on one character for a long time. It was very enjoyable reading this part as it was like an origin story of a great warrior like Conan the Barbarian!
What was weird was he is all set up and now in the area of everyone else and then says he is a bodyguard for the Sha'ik. That part made no sense to me as he was repeatedly shown as a badass who didn't bow to anyone. Thankfully this turned out to be a just a break before he gets going on being a badass again.
The rest is top notch entertainment too with all the intrigue and battles. This is a great book! The only quibble is Erikson should put in more place names as in where characters are and in relation to other characters. There are maps given at the start of the book but I found them really useless in this story. Usually I can work out where everyone is but here I was a bit lost a few times.
This book is 1015 pages and didn't feel like that at all. I really loved it although probably not as much as Memories of Ice but it was close!
Now of course, I am starting the next book in the series "Midnight Tides" which will be the fifth book. Started the first on Jan 1st so I am seeing how long it will take to get through the lot! Really enjoying them which is the main thing!!!0 -
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Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen #5) by Steven Erikson
The fifth book in this series of 10 and as I said in my updates, it is kind of a reset or back story to the main goings on from the other books. I assume it will tie into everything in the coming books but I don't know as I stay away from spoilers!
The story takes place on a continent called Lether and this is far away from the Malazan Empire that is in the other books so far. I think they don't know anything about each other. This is also set in an era before Gardens of the Moon which is the first book.
The tribe of Tiste Edur have been unified under the Warlock King and are going to meet the Kingdom of Lether to discuss a treaty. Lether is known to be sneaky so there is suspicion all around. The character of Trull Sengar appears here again. He was in House of Chains and this is like his back story.
Obviously with two superpowers of Tiste Edur and Lether, things get out of hand so war is inevitable. Characters all have different agendas with some wanting to take over their faction and others with secrets! I found the machinations of the different people very complex and intriguing and Erikson really blends everything together brilliantly. The problem is that it isn't the most exciting thing I have ever read!
On the plus side, I found things did indeed pick up after the last update but it still wasn't as exciting as the other books. It was still fun enough but there is no way I would ever read this one again if I was revisiting the series.Mind you, I haven't even finished it yet!
The world building and characterisation is fantastic here but there weren't many battles or fighting. A big anticipated scrap is over in literally a few pages which felt like an anticlimax. The skulduggery and different motivations of the characters is brilliant though and the way Erikson ties it together is great. I thought it could do with a few more fights though especially early in the book.
This is 930 pages so not as bad as some of the others in length. I am now halfway through the series and enjoying them.
Onto the next one now, The Bonehunters!!0 -
Reading The Bonehunters and I am already enjoying it more then Midnight Tides.
This is 1200 pages so a lot longer than the 930 of Midnight Tides but already feels more compelling so it makes me read faster. A lot of the old gang (characters) are back in it!
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The Bonehunters (Malazan Book of the Fallen #6) by Steven Erikson
This is the 6th book and this follows on directly to the 4th book House of Chains. Some events of the 5th book Midnight Tides are alluded to as well.
The Malazan Fourteenth Army has crushed the Seven Cities Rebellion after the Adjunct killed the Sha'ik and they are chasing what is left of the Rebels west. The Rebels are now led by Leoman of the Flails and they are now holed up in the fortress city of Y'Ghatan. This was home to the Malazan's greatest defeat so the army is very nervous about bad omens and history. They worry how deadly and long a siege might last especially as there is now a plague sweeping the area.
The delicate balance of power in the Malazan Empire could be shifting also. Then there are strange black ships sighted on the seas as an expeditionary force from the Letherii Empire try to find warriors worthy of facing Emperor Rhulad Sengar in battle.
There is so much going on in this book and loads to keep track of all the time. Reading these books in sequence really helps me understand things but it still takes a bit of time to put everything together in my head.
As I said in an update, there is a siege/battle of the fortress city that is really thrilling and exciting to read. This is roughly halfway through the book and then then things begin to stew and simmer until the final 100 pages or so. Then there is an unbelievable wind up with so much happening non stop! I could not put it down and stayed up into the early hours reading this.
What is great is that there is a load of things happening/resolved but in true Erikson style, there are a load more of questions too. This was 1200 pages but well worth the read. I really enjoyed the way this book was put together as there was so much crammed in, it could have been a mess but I found it great.
This would be one of my favourite ones too so far. Big improvement on Midnight Tides and now I turn my attention to the next one. The 7th of the series..... Reaper's Gale. This has even slightly more pages.....1280!!! :eek:0 -
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Reapers Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen #7) by Steven Erikson
This book continues on from Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters and is the 7th book in this series.
Lether is now ruled by the mad Emperor Rhulad. He is now called the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths by the people as he gets resurrected by his sword every time he dies. He gets a little more crazy every time he comes back! He is Tiste Edur and they rule over the Letherii people. The Tiste Edur bring Champion fighters from other areas to fight the Emperor but none can beat him. They kill him but he comes back to life and kills them.
In a Tiste Edur fleet, there are more Champions on their way to fight him. Among them is Karsa Orlong who was introduced in House of Chains He is a badass warrior who believes there is no one he cannot kill!!!
Then there are 2 different threats to the Empire of Lether from the outside. To the East, there is a tribe called The Awl that Lether had conquered but they are now led by a warrior that has come back from Exile. He is called Redmask and has sworn vengeance on the Lether Empire. To the west, the Malazans are coming in a flotilla led by the Adjunct......
This book is a lot of fun but I found it very complex near the end. What made things difficult is there are a lot of characters with similar names that I found confusing. There are names such as Tehol, Tanal, Triban, Thom and Tarudal. Buthen, Brohl, Brullvg, Bivatt, Blistig, Brethless, Balgrid, Banaschar and Brevity. Then there were Shurq, Skorgen, Sirryn, Samar, Seren, Silchas, Sands, Sukul, Sheltatha, Sandalath and Skwish!! This made things very hard as I had to keep checking to verify which person this was.
The first third is great and then it dies a bit until halfway. Then it gets very complex for ages but comes back for a great ending. I think around 300 pages could have been cut out of 1260 pages to make it a bit leaner. After halfway there are numerous plot lines to follow and I found it tough to read.
I sound like I am complaining about this book but it is still a good read. It isn't the best one but not as bad as Midnight Tides. The way Erikson brings things together at the end is always great.
So after 3 months of reading, I have 7 read in this series. Next up is "Toll The Hounds" and this one is 1296 pages!0 -
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Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen #8) by Steven Erikson
The 8th book in the series and it is set mostly in Darujhistan and a place called Black Coral. The retired Bridgeburners who now own K'rul's bar are being targeted by the Assassin's Guild. Who has taken out the contract and will they survive? Anomander Rake is also troubled by what seems to be a coming convergence centred about the city of Darujhistan.......
This book is 1096 pages and felt longer than that. It is the worst one that I have read in the series and would have given up on it had it been a standalone book. There are a number of reasons for this.
A lot of it is written in the voice of Kruppe. He is the fat guy who is always eating but seems to know more than he lets on! While I love his character as he talks in a superfluous (using more words than necessary) style, it doesn't work as a narrator. It felt boring and convoluted to me.
This tale is very complex with a load of different characters and it felt like one of those ensemble films with everyone getting a few lines but going around in circles. I can live with complex but then there is kind of philosophy thrown in too and it felt a bit of a chore to read.
I was about 1000 pages into this and really could not care less what happened to anyone. Surprising deaths didn't have much affect on me and I just wanted to get to the end.
You could easily skip 1000 pages and read the last bit and you would not have missed much except for the characters motivations. Because I have read these in sequence, I can understand and follow things but there are a load of callbacks to the other books that if you left a gap or read something else, you would be lost. It is very convoluted and not in a good way.
There are no big battles in this book. A fight halfway through and then a small fight at the end. That's OK too if what is there is interesting but I just didn't care at all. It was a big relief to finish it. I would have given up only that its in a series and i wanted to follow whats going on.
So now only 2 more books left. Next up is "Dust of Dreams" and this is long too.1276 pages. It can't be any worse than this one, can it?!!!!!0 -
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Dust of Dreams (Malazan Book of the Fallen #9) by Steven Erikson
So this is the penultimate chapter in this 10 book series and the renegade/exiled Malazan army commanded by Adjunct Tavore is in Letherii. They are regrouping there and preparing to march into the Wastelands in the East. This to face an unknown enemy and they don't even know why! Meanwhile, Tool of the Barghast is now their Warleader. Lovely when you get a promotion isn't it?!! But because he only wants to fight in just battles, he is viewed as a coward.The Perish are trying to meet up with the rest of the Bonehunters but they have to go through the Bolkando Kingdom first. The Deck of Dragons is read to stunning effects. What will the Letherii do? Then there maybe K'Chain Che'Malle still around...
This book is basically the first half of the finale. So it is really one very long book split into 2 long books! It is 1276 pages.A huge improvement on Toll the Hounds because I found that long and tedious. This book started of really well and had me hooked again. Like all these books, Erikson should cut out at least 200 pages if not more. Some subplots are a bit boring but the main plot is great. Another quibble is there is a list of characters given at the start of the book but they are just grouped by faction. Just their names so it is hard to remember what each one is or does within that faction sometimes.
There is a graphic rape/torture scene in the book so be aware of that if it not your thing. Well, of course if it is your thing you need help! But I just say it, in case you don't like that in books. In the context of the story, it was ok with me though.
This book took the same pattern as the books before. Starts off well then dips a bit and has something great in the middle. Then eases off again until a big ending. What I will say is, there is a huge battle at the end of the book and it is outstanding. The way Erikson flicks from each character before it starts is amazing. The tension really ratchets up as each character sees what is coming. I felt like I was there too! Then all hell breaks loose! I would love to see this filmed! I stayed up late finishing this last night until 2 o clock. Couldn't put it down!!
So starting today, I will the reading the final book in this series. "The Crippled God" This has 1200 pages. Should be fun!!!
2021 - 9 books read so far. Reading this Malazan series since Jan 1st though!0 -
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The Crippled God (Malazan Book of the Fallen #10) by Steven Erikson
So we finally come to the final chapter! Here, the Bonehunters are marching to Kolanse. Why? Because Adjunct Tavore says so. Why does she say so? She says there will be a big battle there. How does she know this? I have no idea! (even after finishing the book I have no idea!)
Waiting in Kolanse are the Fokrul Assail. A race of beings that want to destroy civilisation and kill all humanity. Can't we all just get along? :pac:
Then, in the once lost city of Kharkanas ( how do these cities get "lost"?!!!) The Tiste Liosan are coming and the First Shore will be defended by Yedan Derryg.
Can all these armies hold out against the onslaught?
I felt this was like WW2 where Tavore is trying to gather up a United Nations to take on the bad guys at the start and then off everyone goes. Like all these books, there are subplots that are not very interesting. I had no interest in the Kharkanas side of things and this felt put in there to fill up the gaps and to take a break from the main action with the Malazans.
This book is like the others in that it starts off well, settles and gets boring. Livens up for some action at halfway, settles and gets boring once again. Then a big finish.
I enjoyed the finish as there is a big battle that is brilliantly written. Far too much boring stuff for my liking but I just about liked it all. I am a bit punch drunk from Malazan now though and I seem to veer from loving it to hating it and wanting to quit at times. I am a bit all over the place with it!
So tomorrow, I will do a post reflecting on this journey since I started the first one on Jan 1st! This seems like years ago. I just finished this book this afternoon. I am Malazaned out now at this point so I need to begin a new book tonight and then post again about the Malazan series tomorrow! Hopefully be a bit fresher then and look at the whole series after stepping away for a night.
2021 - 10 books read so far.0 -
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The Actuality by Paul Braddon
Finally onto "regular" books this year and I have a load to read!
"The Actuality" is a sci fi book and is the debut novel of Paul Braddon. It is set in England in around 2091 where lifelike robots are around. Other than dumbed down ones that do menial tasks, they have been outlawed. People are afraid of what they can do and there have been a few incidents of where they ran amok killing people. Evie is a robot that lives in an apartment but she never goes out. Matthew is old but very wealthy and had Evie built after his wife died. She is a near perfect representation of the wife of Matthew and lives to serve him. They have been together 40 years but of course she still looks around 21.
The only other person there is Matthews assistant who is called Daniels. Evie cannot leave as any high tech robots get hunted and killed. When something happens inside the apartment, Evie finds herself on the streets. She has to pretend to be human and try to survive for as long as she can. Can she find somewhere safe?
I really loved this book. A simple premise but well executed. The first half is amazing as there are themes of what is it to be human and are robots our slaves if they have sentience. It kind of loses its way a little when Evie is first out on the streets but I thought it finds its way back by the end of the book. I really enjoyed the end of the book.
It really reminded me of the movie "Ex Machina" by Alex Garland. If you loved that movie like I did, then you will like this book too.
For a first time book, this was very good so I can't wait for more from Braddon. If you like science fiction then this book is well recommended.
2021 - 11 books read so far.0 -
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Back in 2019 I read The Martian and Artemis which are both written by Andy Weir and here he is back with his latest book.
Project Hail Mary is about an Astronaut called Ryland Grace who wakes up on a spaceship a very long way from home and finds his two other crewmates dead. The problem is his memories are very fuzzy and he can barely remember his own name. He remembers that he is on a mission to save humanity but can't remember what he is meant to do.
He is alone on the ship that has been put together by all the governments on Earth and sent off into space quickly as planet Earth is facing extinction. If only he could remember how and what he is meant to do! But maybe, he is not alone in space after all......
This book was really good and i really enjoyed it a lot! The only quibble is that it really is a rethread of The Martian Essentially Macgyver in space again as Grace struggles to figure who he is, what he needs to do and how to do it.
So if you hated that book then avoid this! But if you liked it as I did, then you will find this fun. It is told in first person from Grace as he comes across each problem and fixes it. He has a load of technical issues but the book seems to stay within the bounds of "OK, this is possible given those conditions" Of course, that's me only guessing but things are explained rationally so I went with it!
I hope that Weir doesn't go back to this type of scenario again of a guy alone in space in trouble as that's two i have read of his! This one is really good though too so i will let him off this last time! Grace sounds the exact same as the character in the Martian. That kind of wise cracking every day man that can fix anything! So Macgyver basically!! Here he is meant to be just a science teacher that somehow winds his way in space!
The good thing in this book, the storyline of him alone in space is broken up by him remembering things that happened in the lead up to him taking off in the spaceship. This does help to break up things so we learn a bit more about him rather than just constant alone with his thoughts.
All in all a fun read that is very much recommended!!
2021 - 12 books read so far.0 -
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
Blacktop Wasteland is a brilliant thriller that had me hooked from the start. Beauregard "Bug" Montage is an honest mechanic and family man that has given up being a getaway driver. He now has his own Auto shop and he has a car that was left to him from his father who left when he was young.
Bug is running out of money though as business is very slow. He has bills mounting up from rent for his shop, needing to pay for his mother's care in a hospital and his daughter is looking to go to College. He may lose everything he worked so hard for and his old life of crime is very appealing especially when he gets word of a job that needs a getaway driver. His wife says to sell the old car and stay away from crime but Bug just cannot part with it. One job would be all it would take for Bug to get out of the hole he is in.
Can he get the job done and all the money while he keeps his family safe?
This is a great book that really put me in the driver's seat along with Bug as he burns rubber down the road! I loved the dialogue as well as the action in this. It is an old story of the guy doing one last crime before he gets out but this is well done. You really feel for Bug as he desperately tries to stay out of his old life but circumstances draw him back in. It is the prefect length for this type of book at only 286 pages so there is no filler. It is well written though and very enjoyable so this is highly recommended!
2021 - 13 books read so far.0 -
Gallowglass by SJ Morden
I have already read One Way and No Way and Bright Morning Star by SJ Morden so here is his latest one!
This is set slightly in the future and is about Jack who is desperate to escape Earth and joins a team on a spaceship. They are basically mining asteroids and find one that if successfully mined can make them all a lot of money that they can retire! The problem is that everyone on the ship is desperate also and will do anything to take the spoils.
I was expecting a thriller in space similar to his other books but this was not really anything like them. Each chapter starts with a quote from some article or website that is basically climate change denial. Doesn't really bother me usually except that here it has nothing really to do with the story. So that's a head scratcher.
Then it starts off about Jack trying to escape from his billionaire parents to getting away on a spaceship. This whole sequence is very strange as its like a mini story until Jack gets on the ship. Suddenly, he is a navigator on an asteroid mining ship.....!! Then the story settles down with them mining until another abrupt time jump.
This is well written but just felt a little dry and not very exciting. I think it needed a bit more work to make it a bit more energetic and fix the pacing. I wasn't really engaged at all in the story.
2021 - 14 books read so far.0 -
Ten Low by Stark Holborn
No, I have not stopped reading and gone away! :pac: Work really picked up and with the euros on, my reading time has cut down but i am looking to get going again properly. I had started another book but stopped and began a different one. Just because I had lost track of the story with having too long between reads!
I saw this book advertised as a space western and "The most vibrant world since Dune" so I decided to order it. It has a really great cover with an authors name of Stark Holborn! Looked like a winner surely?!!
Ten Low is an ex-army medic, one of many convicts eking out a living at the universe's edge. She's desperate to escape her memories of the interstellar war, and the crimes she committed. A spaceship crashes and she rescues and helps heal a teenage girl. But this girl is a genetically engineered soldier and now other people want this girl dead. Can Ten Low help her survive and what about Ten Lows past? It may come back as something knows who she is and what she is running from.
I had really high hopes for this as the premise seems great and the whole concept seems intriguing. Unfortunately it is a bit of a let down due to its world building. I didn't really feel that this world existed as not much is explained. This can be good such as in the Ericsons books that I read this year but here I just felt confused and not able to buy into it.
The dialogue is very good though and this is where Stark Holborn shines. A heroine that I believed in and was bad ass. I can definitely see more novels for this character and maybe flesh out the universe she is in properly. There seemed to be an overabundance of female characters with only one male character prominent. He seemed like a rip off of Han Solo from the Star Wars movies as well. It did feel different at least having female characters at the forefront for a change so that was a good thing at least.
The other problem I had, is this book is divided up into 4 sections and is 320 pages. There are no chapters and I find this annoying as there are no natural breaks to take a breather or target to read until! Maybe this is just me though!!
It sounds like I didn't like it but I did. It just needed a bit more work in my opinion. This still felt fresh and exciting and is worth a read. I would be interested in more books with this character and world fleshed out more!
2021 - 15 books read so far.0 -
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Everything is Flammable by Gabrielle Bell
After my serious last book, I needed something lighter to read and here is a comic/graphic memoir by Gabrielle Bell. It is about a year in her life where her mother's home burned down and she is trying to help her with a new home. It is part funny, sad and poignant throughout.
I didn't think I would like this much when I started but I found myself been "drawn" into Gabrielle's world (excuse the pun!!!) I really liked her style of drawing. See below for example...
My only gripe is that it doesn't really go anywhere and is more like a year in the life of someone. Nothing crazy happens but I think that's the point. It is a snapshot in time where she is helping her mother to get a new place to live.
If you like graphic novels or comics then this is one that is definitely worth checking out. The more I read the more I liked it!!!0 -
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Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay
This is a non-fiction book that is subtitled "How Universities Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity - And Why This Harms Everybody" and is about how activism and scholarship in colleges and universities does more harm than good. It is 350 pages but around 70 pages are notes and references so it is not as bad as it looks!
So this book deals with Critical Theory and how is has seemed to got everywhere and into nearly every subject. In layman's terms in case you still have no idea, it is about the type of woke culture that is around nowadays.
The book is spaced out well where the authors identify what they mean, go into the history of it and how it affects us all nowadays. Stuff like language is violence, science is sexist, obese is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that only white people can be racist.
They go into a deep dive into "Postmodernism" and even though I think the authors really explain it so that an ordinary person like me can understand, I still found myself glazing over with a bit of boredom. It felt like a textbook you read in school but I will say they did their best with a boring subject to explain it in a way I could understand!
Basically, they blame "applied postmodernism" which focuses on ought rather than is and how it has displaced other approaches to activism and scholarship. They go through with examples how this is a bad thing for us all.
When they go through things happening today, I was able to understand things even better and this is where the book is at its best and in my view, more accessible to the regular joe like me!
So, if these type of books interest you such as why we are where we are now, then this book is a must read. If you don't care at all, avoid like the plague! The second half of the book is the best part, but I suppose as this is a more academic type book, they needed to go through the history and how we got to today.
I think you are either into these type of books or you are not!! You probably know already!
2021 - 17 books read so far.0 -
The Art of Falling by Danielle Mclaughlin
A kind of book here that I normally would not really read. If you read and follow this log, then this one may seem a bit different! You would be correct as I won this book in a competition! Rarely would I win much but I was delighted to win a book as I love them! This is fairly new and I saw it in the window of Waterstones here in Cork. Nothing better than a free book! :pac:
From the looks of it and the blurb on the back, I did not expect much. It looked like one of those really light and fluffy books. Nessa McCormack is in charge of a gallery in Cork and there is an upcoming exhibition of a renowned sculptor Robert Locke who is now dead. He has a very famous sculpture called the "Chalk Sculpture" and Nessa is making all the arrangements to show it off.
Unfortunately we learn that Nessa's husband Philip had cheated on her and they are trying to keep their marriage going. To make things worse, he cheated on Nessa with the parent of one of their daughters friends. Nessa and Philip have a daughter, Jennifer who is 16 so life is very precarious for the family.
So Nessa is juggling her work life and her professional life while preparing for this important exhibition. While this is happening, along comes a woman who says the sculpture is actually hers! This woman seems a bit crazy but is determined to be recognised as the true owner of it. Then Nessa has to try to deal with the late sculptor's family who have their own issues.
I thought this was light and fluffy but it proved to have more depth than I thought. Mclaughlin is definitely a good writer and I liked all the references to local places/streets here in Cork. The more I read, the more I got totally invested in the story. This is the sign of a good writer in my view!
Sadly, I thought the ending was poor as after all the hard work building everything up, it all seemed to just fizzle out with a whimper. Maybe I expected too much but it felt a let down after all that I read. So it is one of those books that had me feeling "What was the point of all that ?" I went from thinking I wouldn't like it, to really liking it and then wondering why I bothered at the end.
I would still just about recommend this but with the provisos given. Don't expect a great ending and only if you like a family drama will you like this. For a debut novel though I cut it a bit of slack but I think if a bit more thought put into the ending it could have been great. It is only 300 pages so the book isn't too long thankfully.
2021 - 18 books read so far.0 -
Awaken Your Power Within by Gerry Hussey
Another of these self-help style books and this comes from Gerry Hussey who is Irish too and worked with the Irish Olympic boxers and other high profile athletes.It is subtitled "Let Go of Fear. Discover Your Infinite Potential. Become Your True Self."
I am a big believer in these type of books and feel they are good to read every so often. Changing how I thought about things has made a massive difference in my life and it is all about small changes here and there making a huge difference. Like all these type of books, it depends on how you are going in to them. If you think it is rubbish, it is all a waste of time. Go in with an attitude of this could really help me, then they are a great help.
As I do martial arts, I subscribe to the Bruce Lee method of training or learning. This means throw out what you think does not work and keep all that you think does. There is a lot in here that you can keep. Stuff such as it is all about how you approach things. Think everything is a hassle and it will be. Look at things as an opportunity to improve and you will do better. Hussey recommends affirmations and W.I.N to improve your life. What is W.I.N? What's Important Now. What matters the most to you at this moment and do this or do everything you can to make it happen.
I was very like him growing up and he goes into detail about what he was like before he turned it around. I did jettison his talks on spirituality as that is not my thing at all but hey, each to there own!! A tad bit too much and in my view doesn't fit with his overall view of self reliance and only think about how you react and how you approach things. But you can tell its clearly important to him in his life and I respect that too. It may be important to you in your life as well.
An excellent book that can help you to find your own path in life as it goes through the mind traps we all set up for ourselves. Hussey shows how to break out of these mental prisons that hold us back and works as a practical guide. Highly recommended!
2021 - 19 books read so far.0 -
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
A book that I have been meaning to read for years and only getting around to it now. I should have read it years ago!
This was originally published as a short story and then made into a sci fi novel in 1966. It concerns a mentally disabled man who works as a janitor in a bakery and his name is Charlie Gordon. He is happy enough but the butt of jokes as he doesn't understand things.2 Professors offer him the chance at intelligence as they have already performed an operation on a laboratory mouse called Algernon. Algernon has made huge improvements in understanding how to complete mazes and now the professors need a human subject. Charlie gets the operation and begins to improve mentally eventually even surpassing his professors! Then Algernon shows signs of deterioration and regression. Will Charlie end up the same way?
This is an amazing book and I wish I had read it even sooner! It is told entirely from Charlie's point of view and we follow him from where he is at the beginning to where he is now a genius. From not being able to spell words to reading in many languages, we read his progress reports as he goes on this journey.
We also see how different relationships both develop and fall apart. There are numerous themes in this book such as medical/ethical treatment, happiness, love, sex and how we look and treat the mentally disabled.
It has a very sad and sobering ending that Keyes was asked to change but he refused. It is more powerful as it is and maybe this way it is a lesson for us all on how we treat people. Highly recommended.
2021 - 20 books read so far.0 -
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
This new site update really throws out the way I used to post but I suspect it is the same for everyone! The heat has crippled my reading so I am only getting going now again after a break. So onwards we go!
A crime thriller that I really looked forward to reading as I has read Blacktop Wasteland already. (It is the 13 review on that page! Don't know how to link to the actual post. grrrrrrrrrr!!! ) I loved that book so I got stuck into this one. Derek and Isiah were the gay sons of Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee and the sons are found brutally murdered. The parents were not very accepting of them when they were alive but now both dads are determined to bring the killers to justice no matter what the cost.
The action scenes in this are where Cosby really shines. You feel you are really in the thick of it when the bullets go flying!! The story starts off really well but then veers a bit off into what I call Scooby Doo territory. The kind where things are very convenient plot wise and the surprises are not much of a surprise at all.
Some of the themes get a bit too over cooked where it gets very preachy and I wanted a return to the action rather than monologues. Other than these parts that dragged things down a bit, this is a really fun thriller. The style is very easy to read and I mean that as a compliment as it is very hard to put down!
All in all, this is well worth a read if you like thrillers. It is predictable but still a lot of fun.
2021 - 21 books read so far.
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Silver by Chris Hammer
Way back in 2019 I read Scrublands by Hammer and I loved that book. See the review below as that is a great read.
So I was excited about the follow up called Silver and am only getting around to it now. The same character from the first book, Martin Scarsden, has returned to his home town of Port Silver. He has his partner Mandalay Blonde and baby Liam. His old best friend is found brutally murdered and wouldn't you know it......his partner Mandalay is the chief suspect! Don't you hate it when that happens?!! So, Martin sets out to prove her innocence and get to the bottom of the mystery.
I started this book out full of hope and excitement but sadly I got ground down with passages of boredom and silly character names as well. Johnson Pear, Mandalay Blonde, Morris Montifore, Amory Ashton and Wellington Smith were a few. The murder is fairly early on but after that I was gradually bored and eventually had to give this up. The writing is good but just was boring where I was waiting for something to happen. Lots of sentences about the baby, landscapes and history of the fictitious Port Silver.
I found myself not caring at all about the mystery and the font chosen for the book did not help. It didn't seem a very clear font and was not easy on the eyes, The biggest thing is that this book is just way too long at 570 pages. At least 200 from the first half could be cut out and this book really needed an editor who was ruthless. I think there was a good book here but it is just hidden too deep for me to care which is a shame.
Avoid this at all costs but do go back and read the first book Scrublands if you have not already. Just don't waste your time with this one.
2021 - 22 books read so far.
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Trust by Chris Hammer
This is the third book in the Scarsden series. It follows on from the book above, Silver. Why am I reading it when I hated Silver? I had it bought already! 🤣
So Martin Scarsden has settled into his new life with his partner Mandalay Blonde (What a silly name!) and baby Liam. All seems well until Martin comes home one day and finds a man unconscious on the floor and Mandalay gone. She has been abducted! Why? Can he get her back? Who is the man? Why do I have so many questions?!!
This was better than the previous book ,Silver and kept my interest better than that one. We do, however have some of the most silly and stupid character names ever put into print in one book. Here is a list as you might not believe me as they are so bad.......
Harry Sweetwater
Clarity Sparkes
D'arcy Defoe
Zelda Fordham
Harry Livingstone
Flanagan Mort
Claus Vandenbruk
Doug Thunkleton
Winifred Barbicombe
Taylor Torbett
Wellington Smith
Atticus Pons
So after I was finished laughing at each characters name, the story was quite good. The good thing is that this book is not as long as the previous one. Its only 480 pages and seems to hold together better. I liked the mystery/thriller aspects but there is a tad too much about scenery. Hammer really needs an editor as I would have cut out a lot more. Maybe another 100 pages or more especially from the start. It takes a while to get going but once it does it was great fun.
I would just about recommend this book but the first book Scrublands is the superior one of the three.
2021 - 23 books read so far.
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Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Alright, Alright, Alright........
This is a part memoir,part notes kind of book that is full of stories, wisdom and lessons that McConaughey has learned so far in life. You can see he is a person who likes to travel his own road in life and this book is different to others. He dispenses outlaw wisdom while giving an account of his life so far. I liked the way he encourages the reader to find their own path in life while providing bits of inspiration along the way. Once of my favourite movies is Dazed and Confused so to hear him talk about that movie was great as well as the long list of other great movies that he has done. He comes across as a very easy going kind of guy just like his movies. A very nice read from start to finish so this was a great read. If you are a fan of him then you will love this book. If you don't know him then you will come to really like him through this book too! Highly recommended!
2021 - 24 books read so far.
(PS I have been reading away but forgot to update this log! Whoops! I will update it over the next few days! Hopefully people like to read this log)
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