Cyn Newman

Apparently the beginning of the Retrieval Artist series, which I've been meaning to check out for some time now. The premise on which the series is based - that humans are doing business with other races, some of which have business practices that can drive humans to need to disappear to an extent never known before - is, well, interesting. I'm not sure that any other race would be quite as cruel to humans as we are to each other, honestly, and I've seen humans give each other more than enough reason to disappear quite thoroughly. Still, the writing was good, and the characters and plot were enjoyable. I do plan to find the novels and try one or two of them.

An excellent read, especially for fans of occult detectives. For some reason I was thinking this book was the beginning of a series, and I am terribly disappointed to find that is not apparently the case. (Yet. One can hope.) my only real criticism is that I was left wanting much more.

I think I got this book because of a link in a newsletter, but I'm not entirely sure. It certainly isn't my usual, in any case. But it was there on my Kindle, and late one night when I had finished my previous book but still wasn't sleepy, I found myself reading it. If I hadn't had to work the next day, I would have read it straight through in one sitting. As it is, I took every minute I could steal to keep reading.

Honestly, if I had realized from the start that the author was the same guy who writes the Jack Daniels crime series, I wouldn't have bothered, despite the fact that the book was free. I read one of those books years ago and found it profoundly annoying. By the time I did put those facts together, I was well into the book.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this is male wish-fulfillment fantasy disguised as science fiction. The protagonist is handsome, he excels at everything he tries to do, and he is married to an incredibly beautiful, sexually talented woman. He is able to pull off amazing feats of athleticism, doing very difficult things he has never tried before when exhausted and injured while being pursued by law enforcement. These stunts quickly passed beyond my ability to suspend disbelief, becoming merely ridiculous.

To make matters worse, he is a jealous, possessive asshole. He met his wife through her work as a prostitute (there's a different term for it in the book, and it is wholly legal, but she has sex with men by appointment for money). Obviously he knew what her work entailed before he got personally involved with her. He was a client! But he is absolutely enraged by any reminder of what she does, trying repeatedly to get her to leave her work, which apparently provides the majority of the couple's income. To be fair, his behavior does have negative consequences, but I found it ridiculous to imagine that the woman would have considered even dating, much less marrying, such a closed-minded jerk.

That and the other women who make brief appearances just reinforced my opinion that Konrath/Kimball cannot write female characters to save his life.

I'm not even starting in on the TWO gratuitous rape scenes, which make it clear that the man has absolutely no comprehension of the horror that is rape.

This is another one that I probably wouldn't have ever read if it hasn't been free, followed by an occasion some time later when it seemed the most interesting-sounding thing hanging around on the Kindle when I happened to be bored. The plot reminds me if Dan Brown to some extent, although I know he certainly wasn't the first to write novels along such lines. Religious secrets, conspiracies, secret societies, competing spies, and a great deal of violence are all tossed together. I wanted the answer to a couple of questions just barely enough to keep reading, but I figured out all the big mysteries long before the last chapter. I think the book would have been much better if it had been edited down to be much shorter.

This novella could serve as an excellent taste of the Elantra series if a reader didn't want to commit to something as long as one of the novels, as it occurs before the series begins, when Kaylin is a teen, It is the tale of her first days with the Hawks, and it is wonderful. I really enjoyed it.

Meh. I largely read this one because I have a fetish for completing series whenever possible, but I won't hurry to read any future volumes. It read too much like a wish-fulfillment fantasy in so many ways, and the bad guys were total caricatures. The revenge got WAY too graphic, too - I don't remember quite that much detail in previous volumes (it has been a few years, though).

This book is set almost entirely during the events of a few hours. They're a very busy few hours, but still, just a few hours. Because of that, there isn't really any time for the long-time characters of the series to grow or develop in any significant way. Gin does her assassin thing. Finn is rakishly metrosexual and highly competent in his chosen areas. Bria and Xavier come in at the appointed hour and arrest people. Eva is a Damsel in Distress who has to be rescues at least once in every book. Owen is sexy. Roslyn is beautiful and affectionate. JoJo is the maternal healer. No surprises anywhere. But enjoyable, nonetheless.

Excellent, albeit short, novel. I really enjoyed reading about Rylee and her companions. She is a kickass urban fantasy heroine, but she is a little different than the others I've read about, and her friends are certainly unique. Who else has a pet werewolf?

A deeply touching look at introversion, introverts, and the way western culture devalues our strengths. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is an introvert or who loves or works with introverts.

I nearly put this book down after the first chapter, because I wanted to learn about Bonobos, not atrocities in the Congo. I stuck with it because it was the most interesting of the audiobooks that were already on my phone when I was making a long drive, and I got halfway through it during that drive. I was hooked by then, and needed to know what happened to these particular Bonobos and the humans around them.

Now, I still don't feel that I needed the explicit descriptions of violence. I could have understood what was going on without that. But then, I'm particularly sensitive to such things, and I did already have a pretty good idea of what was going on in that part of the world. I suppose some readers may have needed those descriptions to “get it.”

I really loved the relationships that developed between Woods and the various Bonobos, and how her network of friends and family grew over time. I am envious of the connection she has with her husband, Brian Hare. The information shared about the experiments is truly fascinating, and the competition/cooperation theme that runs through the book is vital to understanding not just chimpanzees and Bonobos, but humans.

I was listening to the book in the car the other day, and heard the following at the end of chapter 34. It caused me to cry.
“If there are those you love, whoever or wherever you are, hold them. Find them and hold them as tightly as you can. Resist their squirming and impatience and uncomfortable laughter, and just feel their heart throbbing against yours. Give thanks that for this moment, for this one precious moment, they are here, they are with you, and they know they are utterly, completely, entirely loved.”

All in all, yes, I recommend the book. Just be warned about those descriptions, and if you choose the audiobook version, don't listen with little ones around.

Fascinating stuff! Vast amounts of sheer geekery about sex, science, and the intersection thereof. If you're looking for sex tips or salacious reading, look elsewhere. If you're looking to howl with laughter without being able to explain WHY to most people, this is your book.

Okay, one might glean the occasional sex tip, but I don't think they're anything that common sense couldn't tell you. And you'll have to wait for the very last chapter for the best bit.

I'll be adding more of Roach's diverse works to my to-be-read stack soon!

I have determined that I'm probably not finishing this one, because I can't bring myself to give a damn.

Definitely my favorite of this series so far! SO much development in the character! The plot was good, but honestly, it was secondary to what was going on within Jane this time around, and there wasn't a boring moment anywhere.

I've never read anything by any of these authors before, so my perspective on this piece is probably going to be skewed compared to that of most readers/listeners. However, it was free on Audible briefly and looked interesting, so I added it to my library. I happened to be in the car a long time today and this is what I had downloaded on my iPad, so this is one of the things that I listened to.

I found all three stories to be very engaging, and found myself interested in reading more about each character involved in the stories. What fascinated me the most, though, was Rose's account of how the stories were written - the different ways the authors chose to work with her, how she prepared to write from the point of view of other authors' very well-known heroes, and so on. I would recommend this to anyone interested in writing as a creative endeavor for that portion in particular.

The fact that the narrators who normally perform the voices of each character in their own series appeared in this performance adds an additional touch of professionalism to the recording, as well.

There are few times that I miss my first husband, but this is one of them. I do wish that I had someone with whom I could seriously discuss this book, someone who would also read it and Ehrman's other works. I participate in a Facebook group that provides some of that need, but it isn't quite the same as a face-to-face conversation.

Anyway, I finished the book today. It was wonderful. Now I want a copy of the New Testament with all of these changes that Ehrman points out marked. I don't know what translation to trust, or if any of them are trustworthy! And what about the Old Testament - he doesn't even address that! Even if one were fluent in all the languages in question, who would have access to all the relevant manuscripts, let alone the lifetime it would take to compare them all? No, it's been done by various scholars, so a definitive “this is what we THINK is what the autographs said” version needs to be in print.

Great read (listen)! Heck, I'm sure I'll do it again! I found it absolutely fascinating, but then I find stuff about how about brains work (or don't work) intriguing.

Wow. This book has a non-stop pace, for reasons that will be obvious to the reader but cannot be explained to others without spoilers. I'll just say “clear your calendar” because you'll not find ANY good stopping places.One of the things that truly impresses me is that [a:Kevin Hearne 4414255 Kevin Hearne http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1289238438p2/4414255.jpg] doesn't just show his characters doing amazing things, but shows them experiencing the consequences of their actions – some expected, some totally unexpected. I truly enjoy his views of archetypes and myth, especially coming from a character who walks around speaking to gods, having a beer with Jesus and throwing down with Thor.I'm so glad that I have [b:Tricked 12700306 Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles, #4) Kevin Hearne http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1324455119s/12700306.jpg 16669362] on hand, but I wish Trapped were out already! At least I have the extra [b:A Test of Mettle 13145815 A Test of Mettle Kevin Hearne http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1323216768s/13145815.jpg 18323275] to read, too. I just can't get enough of Atticus.

Wow. I don't remember much of the previous volume of this series, but apparently I did read it. There were little bits that came back to me while reading this one, mostly minor details. I retained enough that I could follow the sweep of the whole work, and it is excellent. Joanne is actually in a place I have visited this time - Cherokee, North Carolina. I was able to imagine the scenery far better than usual as a result. I'm not a particularly visual person, but I rather liked that. Meeting her father and son was wonderful. I was thrilled to see Morrison in this book, as well. I can hardly wait to read the next (final!) volume, but at least there is the Gary-centered collection to read between now and then.

I read this after finishing Deborah Harkness' All Souls trilogy and I fear that it suffered in comparison to that masterpiece. It is a perfectly competent paranormal romance, but I did get somewhat tired of the grieving and waiting periods in the books, and characters behaving based on emotion rather than reason. I'm not much of a romance reader, and if I'd had something else on hand I would have read it - I was trapped at home with the flu for five days, though, and had this on the Kindle.

So if you LIKE very emotional stories, you will probably like this. If you find them annoying, you won't.

Decent book, good characters

I had to take off a star for the serious need for better proofreading, but the book is pretty good. I'm interested enough in the characters that I intend to read the other book in the series. I'm a little annoyed at the way the first book ended, but it feels like the author's first novel so I'm cutting her some slack.

Another marvelous tale!

I stretched it out as long as I possibly could, but ah, I finally finished this beauty, and what a joy it is! In fact, I am now of a mind to go back and re-read all the previous tales of Korval, because these books are always do very satisfying that I am left reluctant to read anything else.

I love them every one

Yes, another chapbook read, and I not-so-patiently await the arrival of number 23, which I guarantee I will purchase as well! I love every word that proceeds from the Lee-Miller collaboration, and I sincerely hope they continue to produce them in good health for many years to come.

Not quite as good as her first book, but well worth the read. I probably should have gotten the abridged version, because as usual I got tired of the anecdotes.

I find her types interesting - there are upholders, obligers, questioners, and rebels. Apparently most people are questioners or obligers (I think - I may be wrong about the obligers). (I'm a questioner, so for once in my life I'm not weird.) Then she classifies people in additional ways, like abstainers or moderators and so on. In fact, there seems to be some sort of classification or label in nearly every chapter!

Anyway, the information in the book is useful, and I am already using it in analyzing my own habits and improving them. Rubin's reading voice is fairly pleasant (I listened to the Audible version), so I don't hesitate to recommend the book.

Hearne does it again! And one of the things I adore about this book is that Granuaile really comes into her own even more, pursuing her own goals and even pushing him to look more towards the long game as a Druid. This book definitely meets the Bechdel test in every sense. Deities are a little less present, which is fine by me. I rather like the mortals.