He/Him. In the USA... for now. Mastodon
I only track books that I read for pleasure, mostly SF/Fantasy. I've fallen out of the habit of actually writing reviews beyond giving a star rating. It would be nice to get back into that habit.
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The Quincunx (The Inheritance of John Huffam) is the epic first novel of Charles Palliser. …
Extremely detailed. You get the sense that the author knows how much change each character has in their pocket at all times. And that it matters. Amazingly engrossing for a novel about British inheritance law.
I think O'Brian has written himself into a corner. The lead characters, the ones we really care about, are too settled. As a result, all of the interpersonal tension in this book focuses on secondary characters, and a lot of the action takes place in stories that one character tells to another, rather than in the main narrative.
I think O'Brian has written himself into a corner. The lead characters, the ones we really care about, are too settled. As a result, all of the interpersonal tension in this book focuses on secondary characters, and a lot of the action takes place in stories that one character tells to another, rather than in the main narrative.
In the Kingdom of Aran, in the Caucasus Mountains in 950 A.D., two adventurers wander …
Very good. A solid adventure novel, with lots of evocative references to a fascinating historical period. At the same time, it gives the reader a lot to think about. Well balanced.
Fantasy/Horror book centering on a rivalry between two stage magicians. Neat premise. Good execution. I was worried that it was going to leave me wondering what had happened at the end, but, if anything, it did the opposite and explained a little too much.
Only decent. Again, this one was too easy.
In a distant-future, highly advanced society of seemingly unlimited technological capability, a crime is committed …
This one seemed a little too clear, almost over-explained. But I didn't understand why some of the threads were there. Maybe I missed something big.
This one seemed a little too clear, almost over-explained. But I didn't understand why some of the threads were there. Maybe I missed something big.
This turned out to be a bit younger than I'd anticipated. A pretty good boy's adventure story.
This turned out to be a bit younger than I'd anticipated. A pretty good boy's adventure story.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of …
A fairly light but informative history of the British Longitude Prizes, focused on the development of the marine chronometer. I read the illustrated version, which I thought added a lot.
The Letter of Marque is the twelfth historical novel in the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick …
This one seemed like it was a little too easy.
In her most exuberant, most fanciful novel, Woolf has created a character liberated from the …
I really enjoyed both the language and the ideas. I'll have to re-read this to get a better sense for how it fits together.
I really enjoyed both the language and the ideas. I'll have to re-read this to get a better sense for how it fits together.
First edition in Polish.
Well, one of the stray threads got resolved, and another got to a critical point. Overall a fairly depressing installment. These books are feeling more and more like chapters, and less like complete works.
Huh. Well, the stray plotline from the last book totally didn't get resolved in this one.
Huh. Well, the stray plotline from the last book totally didn't get resolved in this one.
Treason's Harbour is the ninth historical novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series by British author Patrick …
This felt like half of a book. One of the major plotlines doesn't resolve at all. I'm sure it's covered in the next book of the series, but I was annoyed.
This felt like half of a book. One of the major plotlines doesn't resolve at all. I'm sure it's covered in the next book of the series, but I was annoyed.
The first complete, annotated English Translation of Mikhail Bulgakov's comic masterpiece.
An audacious revision …
Excellent. The Devil pays a visit to 1930s Moscow. All hell breaks lose. I wish I'd found the translator's endnotes before I read the novel, because they explained the jokes embedded in the Russian character names, which would have made keeping them straight easier.
Excellent. The Devil pays a visit to 1930s Moscow. All hell breaks lose. I wish I'd found the translator's endnotes before I read the novel, because they explained the jokes embedded in the Russian character names, which would have made keeping them straight easier.
