Samih Ibrahim

Andy Weir's attempt at a different Martian. Full of science sequences & similar humor. Now there is a proper story with more characters & in a well flushed out world. Loved the twists & turns but hated some of the techy flows.

Went into it expecting a light read/listen, but was pleasantly surprised. I do feel I disagree with lots of points made which serves to only make this a good book. One that makes you think about the whys and hows of pirate life.

As epic as usual. The way the individual threads keep diverging and expanding only to come together to form a satisfying conclusion is just amazing. The book is filled with memorable passages but I want to remember these:
You don't have to pull sorrow behind you like a sledge on the stones, scraping and crushing those you pass. You're a monster.
The trick to happiness wasn't in freezing every momentary pleasure and clinging to each one, but in ensuring one's life would produce many future moments to anticipate.
They'd better not belong to him! I worked hard for those kills, Kalanor. The Almighty can't have them; he can merely credit them to me when weighing my soul!
But it's not a matter of morality, is it? It's a matter of thresholds. How many guilty may be punished before you'd accept one innocent casualty? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred? When you consider, all calculations are meaningless except one. Has more good been done than evil? If so, then the law has done its job. And so ... I must hang all four men.
I intend to so thoroughly ruin this place that for ten generations, nobody will dare build here for fear of the spirits who will haunt it. We will make a pyre of this city, and there shall be no weeping for its passing, for none will remain to weep.
You cannot have my pain
It becomes the responsibility of every man, upon realizing he lacks the truth, to seek it out.

The you that you are now is all the you that there is.

I don't know what your issue is and i get that if you're by yourself you can't hurt anyone. But the world isn't simple enough for you to survive all on your or awn. And besides you're not that strong. Am I right?

Well written and Ryan's passion seeps through the words. Love the various quotes. Should be a mandatory read for anyone with an online presence. The part about the delegation of trust vs link economy is worth a re-read.

I was indulging myself in the illusions that we can deal in filth without becoming the thing we touch. I no longer have those illusions.
Snark is the ideal intellectual position; It can criticize, but it cannot be criticized.
In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the press.

A great journey of a book; the fall, each character's personal arc, their coming together and the grand finale. An amazing book.

“Dreams are the psyche's way of taking a good dump every now and then. And that people who don't dream—or don't dream in a way they can often remember when they wake up—are mentally constipated in some way. After all, the only practical compensation for having a nightmare is waking up and realizing it was all just a dream.”

A modern day Dracula. I haven't read The Dracula yet, but still I really enjoyed this one. The monologues, tangents & little scenes were each fulfilling, concise & well thought out.

A perfect collection of short stories. Among the collection my favourites are:
- After You, My Dear Alphonse (Social norms take time to change even for good people)
- Flower Garden (how racism creep in and take hold of people)
- Colloquy (short, sweet and I consider it lighthearted)

A nice adventure that never follows the expected path.

Among self help material, this is a good one. There is an excellent Coursera course (learning how to learn) by the same author & based on the same material.

Finally some action. The story picks up & ties several of the loose ends.

Almost nothing happens. I have no idea why even this is an actual book. Meaningful events could've been a couple of chapters and that's it.

A short read that doesn't hold your hand and not afraid to make you feel uncomfortable.

The last part is worth it. But same issues nonetheless.

Bland compared to her MaddAdam trilogy but still a very good read.

They haven't yet learned about existence through time.

Much better than the previous couple of books. Much less dragging about & much faster pace.

The start from before the end...
Savanna makes no sense at all; Unlike other Wise Ones, she makes no sense. She has motives but very unlikely ones. Hopefully, this clears up by later books.
Too long scene setups: Faile/Perrin.
Tel'aran'rhiod!! Please stop explaining it already.
Alas, why not all like the renegades camp. Quick, eventful and to the point.

Funny, sad & moving. What more can I ask for? Worth a reread every now & then.

- Morever, Torrelli had, Pilon knew, the Italians ‘ exaggerated and wholly quixotic ideal of martial relations.
- It is astounding to find that the belly of every black and evil thing is as white as snow. And it is saddening to discover how the concealed parts of angels are leprous.
- It was curious how soberly they drank that night. It was three hours before they sang even an obscene song. And it was late before their thoughts strayed to light women. And by the time their minds turned to fighting they were almost too sleepy to fight. This evening was a great good marker in their lives.
- See how many satisfactions he has made with his pig - affection, love, revenge, and food.

Reminded me of The Secret Garden (haven't read Alice yet but I'm guessing also similar). Great read for all. Just come prepared with nothing & will definitely enjoy it.

Still explains stuff that have been explained repeatedly before. The selection of the new Amyrlin seats makes little sense as much as Egwene's transformation. She was whining the last 5 & half books & now this. The last 10% is great but damn that un necessarily long build up.

So much repetition; at book 5 and still explaining things which should be common knowledge by now. Hated the women story line with its sniffing and braid tugging.
But Rand/Matt line makes up for it.

A short beautiful read.
“You give me a good whore house everytime. A guy can go in an' get drunk and get everything outta his system all at once, an' mo messes. And he knows how much it's gonna set him back. “

Toby, Ren & The Gardeners. An engaging read from cover to cover beautifully interwoven with the first part.

A classic way ahead of its time. Sadly its language & style is of its time making it a bit dull & repetitive in place. Takes some getting used to.

Ending is better than mending. The more stiches, the less riches

Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery... Happiness is never grand