Matt Inman

Cal Newport always writes a book that makes me think. He makes me take notice of how I live my life and question if that is what I truly want to be doing. With this book, he looks at how much we use social media in our day. Then he goes on to explain why that is bad and how it has fundamentally changed our younger generations. He offers some advice on what you can do to limit SM and to replace it with high-quality leisure activity. Overall a book that lets you consider maybe these companies aren't working with our best interest at heart. And maybe it's time we take control of the content they present to us, to limit its impact in our lives.

The book didn't draw me in, in fact, it did the opposite and turned me away. The story just didn't gel with me, I tried to get into it, but after 25% of the book I gave up.

Sorry, Mr. Burton, I couldn't finish your book. The writing was good, but there was too much of it. He overuses description, adding back story that should have been flushed out in dialogue. It took me out of the story. After a while, I couldn't buy into what was going on and had to stop reading. It would have made a great learning experience for his next book, but alas, that never happened.

One of the best books I've read in a while. She does an amazing job of explaining why some people are more driven than others. She also gives tips to parents on how to build grit and resilience in kids. She has data to back up her claims and her stories are interesting and motivating for people.

I really enjoy how Becky pulls real-world diversity and racism into her books, disguises them in plain sight with her alien characters. Then address them with dignity and respect for people(aliens). Her subtle undertones, make the characters real and engaging. Since deep down we know what she is referencing and we can relate.

This is a short book and can be read in one sitting. Chambers again writes great characters who need to work together for the common good. She adds in a bit of drama that provides us hope that we humans can solve some of our problems and make a go of space.

I'm becoming a big fan of Becky Chambers. Not so much because her stories are completing, which they are, but because her characters are very well written. For me, space is just a backdrop for spinning a tale about people trying to survive in alien worlds. They are about the different races coming together to live and learn from each other. Reading between the lines it's parallel to our society.

Chambers is one of my favorite “real” person SciFi writers. She makes writing seem so easy and simple. This story focused on a few people aboard a ship orbiting a planet. Nothing dramatic happens, but her description of life on the ship is interesting and pleasant to read. It was an escape from typical alien invades-type science fiction.

Very good expose to the inner workings of the grocery industry. I would highly recommend this book if you really want to know the who, why, and how that we get food into our homes.

The book was well written and the story pulled from many tropes in Sci-fi. But was enjoyable overall. The edge of the universe concept was interesting and gave a sences of dread to the story. I look forward to reading the follow up.

An enjoyable fantasy book. I found the Locke Lamora character to be engaging and while the book wasn't a page-turner there were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

It was a good second book in the series. Picking up right where the other left off and continuing the adventures in this future world. It continued the story nicely, brought some light on new characters, and introduced us to the “bad” guys and the main quest for the “good”.

I think maybe I overhyped this book. I thought it was going to be a grand mystery that according to the reviews I would thoroughly enjoy. While it has its moments, the book was rather dull in parts and the ending wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.

The story was told from an interesting perspective, and the concept was a new take on the end of the world genre. The writing kept me interested, and while it wasn't a page-turner, there was enough there to keep me hooked till the end. It is a series of books, and the story leaves you hanging at the end, so be prepared to have to read the next book.

Typically I'm not too fond of post-apocalyptic plots as they tend to be disheartening and bleak. But the author does an admirable job of keeping the story upbeat and positive. The use of past and present events to tell the story and come to a satisfying and open ending.

I enjoy the alternative take on time travel. The writer is good at setting scenes and descriptions of events. Some overuse of cliches and emotion for dramatic effect, but you can overlook them for a fine story with a satisfying ending.

Very similar to the first book in the series. With a little more the supernatural thrown in. Zafon again transports the reader to early 20th century Barcelona. His flare for reporducing this city's past is one of the things I love about his books. The books was quite as satisfying but a good read nonetheless.

If you are a fan of fantasy or sci-fi that builds an amazing world. This series is for you. Hamilton's creation of a future where humans have spread out among the star is a hopeful take on what we can become. It's not without danger and intrigue, as he builds on the previous book. Bringin the story to a close in grand fashion. The commonwealth saga isn't for those who want an easy or quick read. It's for the person who wants to sit back and be told an epic story.

DNF

If you liked Game of Thrones, this is the SciFi version of the series. The author is a world builder, he takes up pages to explain the small details. If you like that type of book this will be a good read for you. If you like fast pasted, jump from action to action... this isn't the book for you.

This book should have been a blog post on the author's web site. You get the gist of the book in the first 2 chapters.

The continuation of the series. If you enjoy the others books this one won't disappoint.

I don't even know where to start with this book. I would have given it 1 star, but that's reserved for books I simple can't finish. The book really needed another edit or 2, the content and story were compelling but Richards gets in his own way. He over explains concepts and his dialogue needs help. Its cringeworthy at times, people just wouldn't say or think those things. I won't even go into the relationship between the main characters other than to say it's forced and awkward. Now with all that said, I will look at his newer books to see if he has improved his writing or editing. The detail he goes into on his subjects matter is very good. Which is the main reason I finished the book.

The Test is a good short story. It's a few hours long and provides a dramatic tale of a person's quest to become a citizen in a futuristic world.

It's a very good overview of a personality profile system. It uses an assesment to rate your answers and categories your personality based on 4 colors. This book assumes you have taken the test already and explains the 4 colors in detail. It's nice to consider all the people you know and put them in buckets as you read the book. It will help with recognizing each type and help you to communicate with them better.