Krysteena
I read this and [b:Superman: Earth One, Vol. 2 13532176 Superman Earth One, Vol. 2 J. Michael Straczynski http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333579936s/13532176.jpg 19093852] in one sitting while chilling at Barnes and Noble the other day. Check out my review on volume two to see what I think of the series.
3.5 out of 5 stars (but I'm rounding up this time bc I can)Mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I thought the individual stories were very interesting and I especially love reading Barbara Gordon's inner thoughts as she fights crime on Gotham streets. However, the overall story arc of this collection felt inconsistent and just all over the place for me. It starts off with a flash back of Babs as a freshman in college and explains how she first started as Batgirl, which I enjoyed more than her previous origins story. It then moves to the present and her struggle with recovering from Joker's attack. Black Canary sends Batgirl on a mission to stop Groteseque, who is just another forgetful villain. The main thing about this guy was that one of his henchmen actually worked for Joker during the attack on Babs, and this leads to an emotional scene that Gail Simone does a brilliant job writing. The next part of her adventures involves the Night of the Owls crossover story arc. I LOVED this part so much! It was exciting and intriguing and the art work here was awesome. But it just left me hanging. And it seemed to just come out of nowhere. Plus, I hate that I have to pick up different titles in order to see what happens next during this night of terror in Gotham. I mean, I have to see what happens now, ya know? *adds [b:Batman: The Night of the Owls 15784159 Batman The Night of the Owls Scott Snyder https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344000972s/15784159.jpg 21501850] to growing book list*The volume ends with Batgirl up against Gotham's newest vigilante, Knightfall. She is truly one of the more terrifying villains that Babs has to face thus far (although Knightfall's lackeys were unremarkable). I love that Batwoman comes in and helps Batgirl. I loved the creepy/crazy psychosis of Knightfall. And I loved that we have James Gordon, slowly and subtly working his way into his sister's life throughout this story (truly frightening shit right there). These last few parts are the reason I rounded up on my rating, which I normally do not do. There are a lot of things to look forward to in volume 3 and I know that Gail Simone is going to do a great job.
3.5 stars out of 5.0 (I round down)I actually really liked this book, despite my low rating. Mori, the protagonist, was amazing! And the magic was so realistic to me. It was very subtle (except for the ending) and it just fit (if that makes any sense). I'm a believer, although I know that some may read this and think that Mori was just mentally ill or something (which is fine–I mean, I found myself questioning Mori a lot and, at some point, the reader just has to decide what they are willing to believe [don't be boring, choose magic!]).Things I did not like about this novel: all the book references. I have read a decent amount of SF and I am a big fan of the genre, but Mori reads so much! Almost all of her book references went over my head, especially because most of the novels she read were published before I was born ([b:Among Others 8706185 Among Others Jo Walton https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317792367s/8706185.jpg 6449955] is set in 1979-80 and I would say about 75% of the books I read are post 1985). I felt like I was missing out on something because I have not read most of the 60+ books she refers to. That feeling happened so often it was kind of distracting. I think people who have a read a lot of SciFi from this era will really appreciate all of these nuggets that the author weaves into the narration, but having so many was off-putting for me (although it really stayed in character as far as Mori is concerned). I also did not enjoy the journal/diary format that Walton uses. However, I think that's more of my personal preference than anything else. I just don't seem to enjoy novels that use journal entries to tell a story. The plot tends to drag on for me. Anyways, all things considered: I would recommend this to people who enjoyed reading [b:The Time Traveler's Wife 14050 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1274656075s/14050.jpg 2153746] or [b:Dragonflight 61975 Dragonflight (Pern, #1) Anne McCaffrey https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320425845s/61975.jpg 2467422]
This was a great read! I was intrigued from the very beginning, which started with a very science fiction-like prologue that quickly turned into a more fantasy-type read for the rest of the book (at least in my opinion–I know many people consider this scifi with all the time traveling and star gazing and whatnot, and that's fine with me).
The Dragonriders of Pern starts with Volume I: Dragonflight, which I think was my favorite part of this book because, as a reader, this is where you first get introduced to the world of Pern and the (awesome!) dragons while you follow Lessa and F'lar on their journey as they become principle leaders of Pern. I have to say that I instantly related to Lessa; however, the evolution and growth of her character was a bit disappointing to me. She starts off as a very resourceful, independent woman harboring this revenge for Fax, a tyrant who murders her family for control over Ruatha Hold. As the last member of the Ruathan bloodline, she is able to survive on her own for years under Fax's rule without being caught.. But when she gets to Benden Weyr and becomes Weyrwoman by impressing Ramoth her character changes in response to how the male characters treat her. They constantly blame her for her poor choices while they continue to keep her ignorant. It was extremely annoying to read how caged-in she was, but things start to look up. The society slowly starts to change andLessa eventually gets to ride Ramoth, fight thread, and save the day, so it's not too bad...
Volume II: Dragonquest focuses on the aftermath and consequences of bringing the Oldtimers forward and the impact it makes on present Pern society. You get to follow more secondary characters from Vol I, like F'nor and Masterharper Robinton. One complaint I have is that we never get to hear what happens to Kylara after her queen dies. As a reader, I feel a little cheated regarding this character because there are a few chapters where we get to view the story from Kylara's point of view. Because of this, I developed an understanding for her. I didn't like her, but I was interested in seeing what happens to her because I invested some time into understanding her character. However, after that tragic incident involving Brekke and the queens, we never hear from Kylara again. Not even in Volume III: The White Dragon, where we follow Jaxom and Ruth. This part of the book is very much a coming of age story. It ends with a very cute scene between Lessa and F'lar that made the book feel like it came full circle for me. However, I would have felt even more satisfied if they would have been able to rid Pern of thread completely (much like F'lar), but we can't have everything. Overall, a 4 star, solid read.
2 out of 5 for the audiobook
4 out of 5 for the actual content
I don't usually listen to audiobooks, but I decided to listen to the Audible version of Downbelow Stations since I couldn't get the book from my public library in time for the Sword & Laser bookclub. Bad decision– because I hated listening to it. I mean, there were times that I was able to ignore the narrator and become immersed in the story. But that was rare. I had to concentrate in order to get passed his readings. Especially when he would read with a woman's voice, that was the worst! They all sounded so whine-y, it made me cringe.
Other than that, I thought the book was very interesting. I loved the Hisa, and the different POV characters. And it became even more awesome when I started casting them as BSG characters (idea came from a Sword and Laser goodreads thread: Let's Cast This Thing check it out and join the club!). I might pick up the other books in the series at some point, but for now, I am happy with the ending that Cherryh provided in Downbelow Station.
Bottom line: Audiobook version sucks, but still a fantastic story. Recommended to people who like BSG.
I really liked this comic! Sure, it contains a lot of fantasy tropes that many people are probably tired of seeing, but that didn't stop me from enjoying story. I kind of felt that reading this was like a mixture of playing a fantasy rpg and reading a fantasy novel, so my experience was very interesting and fun. In fact, I love the lady armor in this comic! I wish Calisto's mage robes/battle armor could be available for my Skyrim character!
Bottom line: I'm eager to see how this story progresses. Issue #2: Companions comes out this summer =)
This was a really interesting read for me. I don't really read too many non-fiction novels on my free time, but I intend to change that–especially after reading this book. Oliver Sacks re-sparked my fascination of the Neurobiology field by bringing in a very personal, human narrative to the stories, which many people can relate to. Although it is easy to get lost in the scientific/medical jargon, I hope readers can get past that because I think he does a wonderful job leading his readers through his thought processes.
Bottom line: This is a very thought provoking book, and I can definitely see myself picking it up in the future to reread a couple of the tales.
Such a fun read!!! I loved the writing and the dialogue here. Plus, it was great to see an updated version of Batgirl's origins. I enjoyed the non-linear format of the story, and I was able to easily relate to her. I thought all the Oracle references dropped throughout the novel were very entertaining.
The only thing that was a bit lacking for me was the art. It felt a little stationary to me, but I really appreciated the simplicity (sometimes overly detailed comics give me a headache).
Bottom line: I had mixed feelings about the art, but A++ to the writing. Overall, great read for Batgirl fans =)
Really great read! The story was gripping and dramatic, as well as educational. I was able to learn a few things about my nation's history while going on this journey with Isabel. I have never learned about the disastrous New York fire of 1776, and it makes me wonder whether or not it was an accident or set on purpose by a Patriot. Guess we will never know... Anyways, I'm hoping to pick up the sequel [b:Forge 6327989 Forge (Seeds of America, #2) Laurie Halse Anderson http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1274877839s/6327989.jpg 6513592] whenever I catch some free time.
Love the art work done on this! Everything from the layout to the inking to the color, 5 out of 5...I seriously wish I could draw like them. I would rate the story a 4/5. Great characterization of Batman and I really appreciate the continuity of it all. My favorite scene was when Catwoman tells Batman she'll claw his eyes out if he allows the bad guy to get away in order to rescue her. The identity of Hush was killing me. I had thought it was Dr. Elliot, then he died. Then Ra's said someone defiled one of his pits, so I was like okay Timmy is back. Then Jason comes in and I"m like wtf?! My mind was going in circles, which made the story fun. There was just something missing for me... But overall, I am very satisfied with this. So far, the books I've been reading in 2013 have been amazing. It looks like I've been starting this year off right =)
Okay, the goal for 2013 is to start writing more book reviews, so here goes:
John Perry is a character that I instantly liked and related to. I mean for an old man, he's not that bad. Plus, he's funny. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his journey into space. The ending was great, it was so touching. I loved the "postcard" Jane sends him at the end. And I felt content with leaving the story there, few books leave me with that totally satisfied feeling. I teared up with Maggie's death. It was so sudden and it just hit me that not everyone is going to make it through. I was angry when Alan died. And that's why this book deserves the 4.5 out of 5 from me. It got me emotionally attached. Oddly enough, I never actually cried while reading this like I do with some novels. Things just happened way too fast to spend too much time grieving over a character. Nonetheless, this was a fun, quick read. Must read for science fiction fans out there. And what's even cooler, is that I found out that this was a serial online novel before John Scalzi got an offer to publish it with Tor. Pretty awesome.
Also, this would make a great movie.
December ‘12 Sword and Laser book pick.
Love this book! First read it when I was maybe 14 years old, and now I must be on my 3rd or 4th re-read. It's such a fun read, and unlike the LOTRs trilogy, it doesn't delve too deeply into the rich history of Middle Earth. I love seeing Bilbo grow and develop his independence as he goes on this crazy adventure with Thorin and Co. I still always cry when I get to the Thorin's death after the Battle of Five Armies. This is one of those books that has left its mark on me.
Barbara Gordon is my favorite. And in the New 52 she is back as Batgirl. Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect from this. I was excited to see her back in the Batgirl costume and regain the ability to walk, but I was ambivalent about the whole deal. I mean, there was nothing wrong with having her as Oracle, but here it is, and I'm not completely upset by it. Gail Simone has not disappointed me. The characterization of Barbara Gordon is great. Babs is still the strong, independent superhero I respect, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses and what else is in store for Babs.
Great book! Really, this should be a 4.5 star rating, but I round down. I love the art work and layout. I love the story. I love the iconic characters. I'm just a little disappointed with the ending and the character development.
I'm definitely going to recommend this to all my friends who read comics.
Leviathan Wakes was a solid four star rating for me. Non-stop action from the very first page, great characters revolving around a fun and exciting plot. I actually won this book on the Goodreads Book Giveaway, so I was so stoked to receive it in the mail! Honestly, I was actually doubting that those book giveaways were real for a sec...but I was wrong to doubt! So, sign up for those books that you are interested in. Anyways, I digress. This book definitely did not disappoint. The only thing that I had a slight problem with was the size of the book. It was just physically hard for me to fit in my purse, so I had to wait to get home to read this one. Might be best if you get the e-book version of this, or if you don't mind the size, then the paperback is fine too since it's not a heavy book (the cover art is pretty cool).
Bottom line: Definitely would recommend this to my friends, especially those who enjoyed watching Firefly/Serenity. I'm really excited to pick up the second book in The Expanse Series (Caliban's War)!
I loved this book! I can't even begin to explain why I love it so much, but I will say that I had very high expectations for this story and Pat Rothfuss did not disappoint.Also, a funny thing happened to me while reading this novel: Apparently, out of all the copies I could have bought, I decided to get one that is missing 30 pages! That's right folks, my edition is missing thirty whole pages! I don't know if anyone else has experiences this, but I sat on my bed thinking “No way, this is not happening. Where are these pages?!” Needless to say, I was distraught and in shock, but the next day I went to the bookstore and picked up another copy of this book–making sure that those pages were there before paying! Lol, this was definitely a unique reading experience for me, which, hopefully, will not be repeated while I'm reading [b:The Wise Man's Fear 1215032 The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2) Patrick Rothfuss https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297311431s/1215032.jpg 2502882]!