Jeff
King is Still the King
King's storytelling talent is on full display in “Billy Summers” a tale of a hit man who only kills bad people and the turn his life takes at the end of what he thinks will be his last job.
This was a fun read. Spiner can be a funny guy (I did love his character's attempt to connect with comedy when he played Data in ST:TNG) and he brings that humor in this book. A fast, easy to read and amusing story that will leave you chuckling more times than you can count.
I also voted for it in the Goodreads “Best Humor” category of their Choice Awards.
Hometown Murder Mystery
This is an excellent story and I don't want to give away anything so I'll simply say if you enjoy true crime novels, you will find characters and plots aplenty in this very well written book that might keep you guessing as to who the murderer really is.
Kudos to Richard Chizmar for crafting such an intriguing book.
Man, I love reading this guy's words.
“A Promised Land” is mostly concerned with Barack Obama's election to the highest office in our land and his first four years as President, as told through his eyes, memory, and life.
Obama has always had a way with words, as evidenced by his first major speech at the Democratic National Convention where he initially captured the interest and admiration of so many Americans. Over the ensuing years of his presidency, his words spoke to a nation with a message that needed to be heard in a way that was effective, informative, and just enjoyable to hear.
This book provides a glimpse into the mind and thoughts of a man who occupied the office of the President of the United States for 8 years, helping even those who admired him understand that the job was never easy. The history he provides, with the additional background of his own thoughts, paints a picture that fills in some of the “holes” normal histories or biographies would miss.
As I mentioned at the beginning, this book covers the first four years of his presidency. This book is actually Book One and I cannot wait for the second volume. If you haven't read “A Promised Land” yet, you should be sure to add it to your To Be Read list.
Andy Weir's Best Yet
As good as The Martian was, Project Hail Mary is even better. It's very much in a similar style as The Martian with a similar character and similar storyline, but it is in no way a rehash. It's an excellent story that holds your attention and reaches a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed his previous work.
Film Noir in a Book
I usually like Baldacci's writing and this book was no exception. Though this is his second “Archer” book it's the first I've read and I found it quite enjoyable. The style and period for this story was the mid 1940's and read just like the pulps of that time. Almost like watching a film noir unfold in a book. Archer's a good character and I can see where more stories can go with him. Highly recommended.
One of the best books I've read in a while. Great plot, characters and handling. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Digging up Bones of the Past
An excellent story that, while fictional, is based on the true history of the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. Colson Whitehead is an author I'll be reading more of in the future.
An excellent overview
Ramit Sethi covers all the bases AND delves into the common sense esoterica to put you on a path to financial independence.
What If You Had a Different Life?
We've all asked ourselves the question, “What if I had a different life?” Nora Seed gets to experience the answer to that question when she decides to end her life.
“The Midnight Library” is like the movie “It's a Wonderful Life” on steroids. An interesting mixture of quantum physics/parallel universes/philosophy combined to make this a story that is hard to put down.
And like Nora, I don't think you'll be disappointed in the result.
Highly recommended.
A Page Turner
On an Irish island all the threads of intertwined lives come together in an unexpected manner. A real whodunit right up to the end.
Another Masterpiece Expanse Novella
I am constantly amazed at the sheer number of characters that populate The Expanse universe and how they are all written with distinctive personalities possessing relatable human strengths and weaknesses in such believable ways and all within the wide-spanning plot. I want to see the end of this tale, and yet I don't.
Deep and dense and worth the effort
I expected a light and breezy, easy read but I should have known to expect much more from the author of Cloud Atlas. The story was dense and deep and worth the unexpected effort of experiencing the lives of Utopia Avenue.
A Real Nail-Biter
I found this story to be extremely engrossing with solid characters, great plotting and a satisfying twist ending that wrapped up everything.
All finished. Five stars for an epic, galaxy-spanning tale of a woman's life and metamorphosis; the challenges, the enemies, the friends, and the loves.
A Wonderful Reading
As a fellow golden retriever fan, I was especially enthralled with the story in “Devoted” which contained all the usual ingredients of Koontz's books; good people, bad people, elements of fantasy and the unbelievable, but best of all, justice and happy endings.
“Snow White” as You've Never Known Her
When you combine one of the greatest writers/storytellers of our time with one of the most talented illustrators/storytellers of our time, you get this masterpiece of a tale about someone you only thought you knew.
Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran merge their respective talents in a work that is greater than the sum of their parts. I could not put this down on the first reading and then returned again and again to soak in all the beautiful words and art and savor their flavor in my head and heart.
You are denying yourself an exceptional experience if you do not get this book and read it.
A Sad, Yet Uplifting Journey
The Water Dancer is a story suffused with sadness (because how could a life of slavery be anything else?) and the joy of the hero quest. It makes a powerful, engrossing combination based on our own country's sordid history of owning other people. I can assure you, you will be more for reading this almost lyrical yet melancholic story.
King Does It Again
Once again Stephen King hits one out of the park with The Institute. Plot, characters, and dialog woven by a master into an awesome story.
Another Great Story by Mather
I've been reading Mather's books since his first work appeared and they just keep getting better as he hones his storytelling skills. This was a great “who done it” adventure tale with a deeper message buried within and I would heartily recommend it to all who enjoy a good story.
Just finished “How to Hide an Empire” and it is an eye-opening look at the history of the United States of America's colonialism around the world. Highly recommend!
A life that is still becoming
If you have not already done so, I highly recommend you read this book. While I learned a lot about our first First Lady of color, I also learned a lot about her husband. If you had any interest in their administration, then I believe you will find this look at her life in particular and her daughters and husband's life as part of hers to be quite interesting.
This Is Your Moment of Zen
If you watched and loved The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then you'll enjoy this look behind the scenes of the show right up to (and a little afterward) the last show that Jon Stewart hosted.