Mer Barr

The beginning is incredibly dark! The middle is strangely, considering this is a not-fiction story, a nice mix of beauty, personal challenges, interesting individuals, risk, insight, and reward which normally describes a fiction plot. Thankfully there is an end although it felt like only 2 sentences long compared to the rest of the story.

She doesn't go over her decompression into the world, which I would have liked to know more of but what she provides is also good closure.

Good use of words to describe her inner and outer world.

The first part of the story is very frustrating! So many hints to the world and a backstory but no pauses to expand on the world building or the backstory!

Next it's riding in the head of a hoarder, talk about frustration over how rude and intrusive some people are ! I would not have looked at this situation this way before, so glad the author included it.

Then the roller coaster ride to the end of the book and dang it a cliff hanger that doesn't appear to be answered, based on the synopses of the other books in the series .

I'd recommend this to someone that likes science fiction.

I must be getting too old for Mr Pratchett's Discworld. I barely crack a smile while reading his books, including this one.

I loved the twist on the life of an Egyptian Pharaoh, the Afterlife, and the Guilds as usual especially the final exam.

I feel like I was adift at sea with nothing insight but the horizons, 360.

97% names and places unrecognized, unable to visualize where these people were in Middle Earth. Maybe not there at all.. The remaining 3% known were dark places... and the ever-present Orcs.

The first chapter is incredibly like reading the Old Testament, which is how I described the Silmarillion after finishing it.

Very good read! A plot that moves along nicely, no veering off the storyline to discuss stuff I don't want to know about, not too many characters, and characters that I could get drawn into!

Nicely done world building! None of the throw you in the deep end and you either swim until the author gets around to it or you drown and throw the book into the recycle box.

The story is dark, lots of dead people and things in this one, but not as dark as some YAs I've read and not depressing as alot of books seem to be coming out as!

Be sure to listen to Tim Curry narrating! His speaking cat-shaped entity is wonderful!

I'll read the next book in the series.

I wish everyone a Neil Peart in their life.

Kind to those in need, has his own opinions but doesn't broadcast them to the world, takes risks that stretch him like stepping out from behind the drums at the end of a concert, anticipates dangers in his dangerous hoppies, well read, and thought provoking.

All his travel books are worth reading.

I liked the organization of the stories by state and although I don't normally like short stories, which each state seems to be with a mix of personal stories and factoids across time related to the main topic.

Well worth the read.

All the elements of a good story for me: plot moves along nicely, complex enough to keep the mystery a mystery for 70% of the story, the characters have personalities and there aren't too many to keep track of.

It's a quick read as well.

So depressing it's like sandpaper on the skin, nails on a chalkboard, hydrogen peroxide on an open wound.

Not sure what it was but I read the words, the words were in my native language and yet, the words chosen were vague in some way. Or maybe made allusions to topics I'm not familiar with. The result being that the sentences were not understandable and therefore the subject was not understandable.

Plenty of science sprinkled through out and seems like all aspects to the truffle appear to be covered, some really aweful! aspects, but the real gem are the time spent on all the different individuals along the path of the truffle to the plate.

This book reaffirms my belief in NOT buying in to the marketing speak.

I read this only because I've enjoyed some of the author's other books. I'm normally looking for a story that walks the fine line between plot movement, character building, world building, and the subject the author's is wanting to present for consideration, in the hopes of being drawn in.

I think this book has done most of that except it didn't go far enough in any direction to draw me in. The characters had good beginnings but not much depth, the science would be intriguing if there had been a pinch of something, not sure what, had been added. The only thing I think where it was fleshed out is how human beings would react to being detached from everything that a human being needs to be vibrant, for lack of a better word.

I don't believe I've heard this narrator before; they have an interesting pace to their sentences. I have wondered if that was natural or intended for this book.

The plot, when not sidetracked by the love triangle and ‘does he love me', angst is good. Too much of the sidetrack for my taste.

• Action moves along nicely,
  - Lots of science but doesn't sidetrack too much to explain and doesn't use alot of jargon without simple explanations
  - Lots of outstanding unanswered questions that have to be pieced together so you don't guess the answer too quickly.
  - Death but not too grisly except for 1 scene early on.
  
  All things I like in a book and get from Mr Crichton's every time.

A great book if you want to see the world of a multi-generational and multi-sibling household, which I didn't grow up with. Also great to understand the difference between a woman's rights and a man's rights for a culture not my own.

I will say I didn't read most of the book only because I like books where the story moves along at a faster pace. I don't say that's a bad thing as it relates to this book, it's just a pace I'm not used to.

Graphics are not too busy, not too many slides on a page or bubbles in a slide and they're placed [for me] logically. Internal voice is easily distinguishable from verbal voice.

I am really happy to see a woman doing barbarian stories but saddened by the artist's choice of skimpy chainmail [again] held together by strings [again] but was glad to see more clothing appropriate to the weather as the books progressed.

Nice to see a woman that expresses her sexual desires and emotions without guilt or excuses and nice to see she has a ‘mind'.

Overall a character I can get behind and cheer for.

I'm sure someone will enjoy this sub-genre and give a better assessment of what to expect than I can. This is not a topic I seek out for myself.

I found the beginning to be an absolute joy but I moved quickly into ‘lets get to the end'. This book is serious YOUNG Adult, which is not my taste.

This book is the polar opposite to other ‘young adult' books like the Hunger Games which is strangely classified as YA but has a heck of alot of dark and adult subjects that I wouldn't suggest a young adult read.

It does deal with alot of death but is presented more as a child would look at and think about things, not as a book about young adults.

The author did a masterful job of presenting her topic and not straying off-topic. Telling the story through interviews of those who were actually there or were related to the deceased, is how I think as much of history as it can be, should be told.

The designer of the book's pages did a fantastic job of helping you keep track of who was speaking! Each speaker is called out before their words and the author's voice is distinguished in the text with italics. As well as providing an index at the back of each of the deceased and wounded for quick reference. A big applause for letting you know that exists on the very first page and not discovering after you'd struggled thru the entire book!

There are areas related to the IRA, Provisional IRA, Sinn Féin, and several other subjects that I would have liked to know more about but applaud the author for not sidetracking the story she wanted the reader to understand, which is all said in the subtitle of her book.

As someone who has grown up and lived in a completely different culture and environment, I found this book to be incredibly helpful in understanding some of the words and phrases I've heard since 2020
- Implicit Bias
- Historical Trauma
- Institutional Racism

I also found it helpful to get to know the person after knowing the name for some years now. The author has done what I believe he set out to do which is to show Mr Floyd with all the weaknesses many people want folks to know about him and can so easily get the word out on, but more importantly to show what his family and friends know about him and struggled to share with the world; as an individual anyone would want to know and be around, and miss terribly.

Great characters that I became interested in right off the bat, intriguing technology being explored, a plot that moves along and not spending alot of time in the blow-by-blow of the battles.

I wonder if there's a second book planned to continue the storyline or the author wanted to end on a question. Both work for me.

I couldn't make it to the end with this one. Yes, it seems to be in the same universe as the Foundation series but it's missing the fascinating characters that draw you into the storyline or an intriguing plot.

Too much politics and in-fighting for my taste.

The author chooses fantastic words to describe the country, the people are wonderfully built out, and the experiences created for them are interesting and varied.

I'm not sure there's a sequel but I'd be interested to hear it.

It was nice to come back to Earthsea for awhile.

The author spends a very short amount of time on actual ghost encounters and the rest of the book you'd have to be open to interpretation as to how related the subjects are to the title. Other than that a great catch up on the Japan tsunami [that took out the nuclear power plant] and it's impact on 1 community.

The author spent years going back to and staying in touch with the community. Very nicely written as well.