Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Old Man’s War was a really enjoyable book. It was a fairly engaging world, and Scalzi’s take on everything was full of what could reasonably be called a cynical wonderment. The technology’s amazing, but people may be assholes, and at the same time they may have to be assholes. Nothing’s an easy answer in the story.
Definitely a fun read. You should check it out if you haven’t already.
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The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
So essentially, The Return of Tarzan is just about as racist and sexist as the original Tarzan, but in such a tongue-in-cheek way that you’re willing to acknowledge that it’s a product of its times. Especially because it’s every part as over-the-top wish fulfillment hilarious, although this time including desert marauders, Russian spies, and a lost city of gold. If you liked Tarzan, you’ll like his return.
Pure and simple.
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1861: The Civil War Awakening by Adam Goodheart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
1861 was a fascinating read. Everyone hears about Fort Sumter, and Lincoln, and some of the major generals or famous battles, but what you miss out on in classes is the nervousness and tension – and ultimately resolve – of a nation about to go to war with itself. It was made all the more tense because we know what happened, ultimately. I was able to sit and read and know fully well that the war they were trying to avert at the start of the year couldn’t be put off, that the unreal body count was in the all-too-near future. Knowing that America was about to tear itself apart, but watching people try to stave off disaster anyway, was an eye-opening experience.
Which is to say nothing of the fact that Goodheart makes it very clear just how tenuous things were at the start, and just how much of a divided mess the country actually was at the war’s start. I recommend this for anyone interested int he sides of history they might not have heard about, especially if that history is of the US.
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Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was the first Scalzi book I’ve ever read, and it came highly recommended from some friends. Now that I’ve read it, I can honestly say: their recommendations were good ones. The writing style was significantly more casual than I’m used to seeing in books, which might have something to do with the fact that the story was such a strangely meta one.
I think any fan of sci-fi will enjoy this book, especially if they have even a passing familiarity with Star Trek tropes (all of which are up for roasting in Redshirts, by the way). Definitely worth the purchase and the read.
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Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings by Mark Twain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was…a tricky book to get through. The actual “Letters to the Earth” section was slowing going at best, and although parts were interesting, it just frankly wasn’t engaging. However, then short stories start, and humorous asides, and his essay about James Fenimore Cooper that tore Cooper apart, and the book actually became quite enjoyable to read.
It’s a tricky book, but it’s pretty worth your time if you’re willing to put that time into it.
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Nemesis by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It was a pretty inventive story. Not up to the level of some of his other works, but you could do a lot worse than reading this.
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Boston Noir by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was pretty good. But some of the stories had characters that were frankly impossible to care about, which made it difficult to care for those stories in general. However, overall, it was a decent collection and worth a read.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love it. There were one or two points at the very end of the book I would have liked to have seen expanded upon, but otherwise I thought this was an excellent end to the series. I already kind of miss it, in fact.
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Egads. Just…egads.
On to number 6!
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another really good entry. It didn’t have quite the punch that the Goblet of Fire had (since Goblet got so dark so fast), but still a hell of a book.
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