Krysteena
“In the end, people are unable to discard things either because they are attached to the past or afraid of the future.”
I am tackling my clothes today. Time to transform my loving space.
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]
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.
A fast and fun read. Recommended for those looking for a good summer book. I loved the characters. I loved reading about their experiences and seeing the growth of each character. I like the different point of views and i thought he did a wonderful job with spotlighting each of the main characters.
Definitely looking forward to the movie!
I'm not in love with this story. I liked it a lot and I thought the themes were incredibly interesting, but it was lacking for me. Both the art and the storytelling were exceptional and I was really impressed with the pacing of the book. Plus, the covers are incredible. Check out the cover for issue #2:
The novel opens onto a standard stakeout scene featuring the Elongated Man and his co-worker Firehawk. This scene is set “thirty minutes from now” and you get this sense that something important is going to happen when you get to the “now” panel. And something drastic does happen, which sets off this series of events that leads to a lot of emotional scenes and secrets being unveiled. It's a clever story and (although I'm not the biggest DC fan) I appreciated all the little details put into the novel. So what's up with my three star rating, you might ask. Well, here's the thing: the female characters in this novel (like so many other superhero comics) are all just support characters. In the first chapter of this book we get to see the view points of many superheroes–Robin (Tim Drake), Black Lightning, Clark Kent, and even Nightwing. This made me pretty excited. I had thought that we would get some point of view moments with some of the female heroes even if it's just a couple of panels. Instead, most of the story is narrated by Green Arrow. And I'm not saying this is a bad thing–he has quite an interesting point of view (I especially liked hearing him justify his choices). But what about the female perspective?
In the entire novel, there are only two times that we get the female perspective. The first is from Sue Dibny (Elongated Man's wife) right before she is killed and the other time is Lois Lane. In both of these situations, their lives are being threatened, and compared to their superhero husbands, they are powerless and vulnerable. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I loved reading the scenes of Sue setting up the surprise gift for her husband. What I don't like is that the writing totally omits the perspective of the female superheroes on the team. They hardly have a voice, yet they are powerful and their actions have many consequences. For example, it would have been interesting to view some of the scenes from Zatanna's point of view instead of constantly seeing Ollie's perspective of the events. I mean, Zatanna was the one who actually had to do the mind-wiping, everyone else just voted. How does she feel about all that responsibility? What kind of thoughts did she have about mind-wiping Bruce? How did that impact her? Sure, these feelings might be explored in some other DC title, but in a comic about the Justice League I for one would like to see equal representation.
It might seem like I'm nitpicking at the story, but I'm just really tired of female characters being sidelined. I want to see them highlighted–not just as support characters, but as a main character with their own voice. Because of that, this gets three stars from me.
This volume was more of a compilation of short stories. I particularly enjoyed the Ramadan story at the end and Three Septembers and a January. Definitely a must read if you're into Sandman! Now onto Volume 7 (I need to catch up before the prequel comes out in October)!
Another great read from Neil Gaiman!! I love how all these “minor” characters from past Sandman issues later become the main character. It's so cool and makes me pay extra close attention to each panel... IDK if it's just me, but this comic series is heavy. I seriously need to read them in doses. I'll binge on an entire story line before going to bed one night, and then I won't be able to pick up another volume for another two weeks or something.
Dream makes a trip to the realm of Lucifer and must deal with the repercussions of his actions.
Great series! Gaiman always keeps me in suspense with his Sandman stories. I can't wait to pick up the next volume!
This story follows Auri around the Underthing as she prepares for Kvothe's visit. Very little actually happens, but it was still a delightful read nonetheless. Short, strange, and sweet–much like Auri herself.
Such a good read! Private investigators (called paparazzi) and secret identities set in a post Cloud burst world. Interesting world, fun characters, a must read for comic fans out there. The art is striking and fits this world perfectly =)
I'm currently reading the most recent issues. Definitely check this out if you have time. Here is the link: http://panelsyndicate.com/ (it's only available in digital form). Pay what you can–all the money goes towards the author and artist.
5 out of 5 stars.
Okay, so I went on a small comic book binge the other day, picking up titles that I've been wanting to get my hands on for a while now. And this was definitely something that's been on my radar. I had fairly high expectations for Black Science because the artwork here is fucking beautiful. I mean, take a look at this:
The coloring is just stunning, especially when you see it in print...unfortunately, the story was a little bit lacking for me. It wasn't bad, and there were definitely really great moments in the comic, but there were other moments where I was just like, “What the fuck?”. Plus, I really did not like the main character, Grant. And it's not like you need to like the protagonist in order to enjoy a story, but this guy is a douche.
Still, I am interested in picking up the next volume, if only for the artwork.
3.5 stars out of 5.
This was an incredible children's book. I recommend it to every parent, and those of us childless adults who happen to have a soft spot for children's books (like me).
The illustrations are beautiful, a bit whimsical, and very, very cute. I love the character designs and the page layouts. As an added bonus, the story is really well-written and engaging. It is told in the first person POV and the prose aren't like a typical children's book. It is not that one-syllable-word, five-word-per-sentence type of story, which makes me love this story even more.
Here, check it out for yourself:
See what I mean? Beautiful.
I seriously want to purchase a copy for each of my nieces and nephews–it was that good.
Bottom line: I love this book! An instant classic for me! 5 out of 5 stars =)
Very cool! I love the concept, I love the delivery, and I can't wait to get my hands on [b:Lazarus, Vol. 2: Lift 20299674 Lazarus, Vol. 2 Lift Greg Rucka https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395593236s/20299674.jpg 28133246]!
OMG, I LOVED THIS!!! It was light, it was fun, it was exciting...I mean, there is SCIENCE in here! And the characters are so cool–what's not to love?!
I'm not much of a physicist, so I'm not sure if the science is sound, but who CARES! (I know I didn't–and that's how I know I really enjoyed this read).
Pick this up if you enjoy comics–the art is fantastic and the story is fresh. Trust me.
Wow. I am really behind in my Sword and Laser reads! This is partly due to my schedule, but also because it has been damn hard to get my hands on a copy of the book these past few months. The Martian, in particular, had a huge wait list at my local library. However, I finally made it to the top of that list, and it was well worth the wait.
At first I was ambivalent about this book. I don't typically like the diary type of style, which is how this book starts off. I think that type of narration is very limiting and can become really repetitive. However, this book is not solely comprised of log entries–there are chapters where the point of view changes and those were the parts that really stood out to me.
I love astronaut stories, and this one was really well written. The stakes are high, there are many suspenseful and emotionally charged scenes, and Mark Whatney is a great narrator–I love his sense of humor.
4.5 out of 5 stars!
I don't know exactly how I feel about this book, so I gave it an average rating because of my conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it was a very engaging read–especially with all the hilarious illustrations, and Allie Brosh's voice is witty and funny and casual, and honest. I just had a hard time relating to some of the stories. I am not sure if it was how she was writing it, or if it was the situation itself, but I was definitely forcing myself to just get through with some of the chapters. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess the tone was just off for me.
3 out of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this novel! The main character, Breq, is awesome. She not only provides an interesting point of view for the reader, but she is also very relatable–which is weird considering the fact that she isn't human, she's an AI. And that just goes to show how brilliant Ann Leckie's writing is (yeah, I'm officially a fan of hers now)!
I'm definitely picking up the next in the series (Ancillary Sword, I believe, although it's still in production). I seriously cannot wait until it comes out!! I probably haven't been this excited for a series since Harry Potter.
I would recommend all science fiction fans out there to pick this one up. I'll admit, it's a fairly complex book and might not be for everyone. The different points of view can be confusing and the use of pronouns is non conventional, but I really believe that it deserves a chance. The worse that can happen is that you end up not liking it, and that's not so bad.
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 =)
I loved this story, and I was really hoping to win it from the Goodreads Giveaway, but unfortunately I didn't =/
The good news, though, is that the comic is actually available online, which is where I was able to read it, and I would definitely recommend everyone to check it out: http://www.delilahdirk.com/
You won't be disappointed. The story is fun and fast paced. It's a light read and I think Delilah Dirk is awesome–I would love to cosplay as her!
I can't wait for the nest installment: Delilah Dirk and the Seeds of Good Fortune. The cover looks amazing!
Love this so much! Maybe even more than Volume 1! If I could give 6 out of 5 stars then I would. Amazing artwork by the very talented Fiona Staples, and such a wonderful story. I love the dialogue that Brian Vaughan bring to each scene, and it's thought provoking without being too serious. Highly recommended this series!
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.
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.