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dan_tee's reviews
80 reviews
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
3.0
Not half as scary as I expected, but a wonderful exploration of race relations in 1920's America, and how one man can be moulded into something new.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
5.0
A thoroughly enjoyable book. To me, this took the humour from The Martian, and tweaked the hard science part of it down in to digestible nuggets of information that didn't detract from the larger story.
Bob is a great character, as is our "main" protagonist, Bob 1.
What I loved about this book is that the author saw all of the sci-fi topics you'd like to see explored - usually one at a time - and ostensibly said, "well, let's just do it all".
You end up with a vast range of narrative threads, some more interesting than others of course, but that's the beauty of this book - different parts will appeal to different readers.
The humour is funny, and the geeky references are sprinkled in at just the right amount to not feel overdone.
I listened to the audiobook version of this, narrated by Ray Porter, and thoroughly recommend it. I look forward to reading the rest of the Bobiverse!
Bob is a great character, as is our "main" protagonist, Bob 1.
What I loved about this book is that the author saw all of the sci-fi topics you'd like to see explored - usually one at a time - and ostensibly said, "well, let's just do it all".
You end up with a vast range of narrative threads, some more interesting than others of course, but that's the beauty of this book - different parts will appeal to different readers.
The humour is funny, and the geeky references are sprinkled in at just the right amount to not feel overdone.
I listened to the audiobook version of this, narrated by Ray Porter, and thoroughly recommend it. I look forward to reading the rest of the Bobiverse!
Elevation by Stephen King
4.0
There's a lot I could say about this little book. It's quite a pleasant read, and although I found the ending quite sad, I appreciated the messages the book conveyed; acceptance, loss, kindness and laughing in the face of danger.
It is a book I have thought of often since finishing it, and it's as well written as any of kings great works - and short enough to blast through in a few hours. For that, it's definitely worth a read.
It is a book I have thought of often since finishing it, and it's as well written as any of kings great works - and short enough to blast through in a few hours. For that, it's definitely worth a read.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
5.0
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. By page 12 I was already holding my breath while my heart pounded with anticipation and anxiety.
Malerman writes beautifully, painting vivid images of the world Malorie and the children can no longer see. There are many fantastic moments, some heart-warming, some devastating.
I read this all in one day as there was never a point where I felt I could put it down and take a break.
Cracking read, very enjoyable, and short enough to read in an afternoon. 5*'s.
Malerman writes beautifully, painting vivid images of the world Malorie and the children can no longer see. There are many fantastic moments, some heart-warming, some devastating.
I read this all in one day as there was never a point where I felt I could put it down and take a break.
Cracking read, very enjoyable, and short enough to read in an afternoon. 5*'s.
God Touched by John Conroe
4.0
Lots of interesting ideas presented in this book. It's a simple read, but with some fun concepts and good humour. The protagonist is a little too perfect for my taste at the moment, but he fills his role of power fantasy insert character well.
Good, light-hearted fun. Will definitely start on the rest of the series.
Good, light-hearted fun. Will definitely start on the rest of the series.
Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
4.0
A different direction in the Bobiverse, and a very interesting "main" story, while setting up some intriguing background stories. Curious to see how Dennis Taylor, and Bobs, deal with the challenges of the future.
Artemis by Andy Weir
3.0
3.5*s
This is a fairly good book, with some really fun characters. The protagonist is probably a bit like marmite to some, and I felt very little attachment to her in the first half of the book. However, when her character had some depth revealed, she was more interesting.
I can see why some people are put off by her descriptions of herself as "sexy" etc, however, I don't think this is a case of "men writing women", but more of writing to fit the woman in question.
Jazz is gifted, lazy, and confident. She's hot, and she knows it. Just like she's smart, and she knows it.
Overall, she's no Mark Wattney, but Rosario Dawson did a lovely job of bringing her and the surrounding cast to life in the audio version. As always, I will be looking forward to Mr Weir's next release.
This is a fairly good book, with some really fun characters. The protagonist is probably a bit like marmite to some, and I felt very little attachment to her in the first half of the book. However, when her character had some depth revealed, she was more interesting.
I can see why some people are put off by her descriptions of herself as "sexy" etc, however, I don't think this is a case of "men writing women", but more of writing to fit the woman in question.
Jazz is gifted, lazy, and confident. She's hot, and she knows it. Just like she's smart, and she knows it.
Overall, she's no Mark Wattney, but Rosario Dawson did a lovely job of bringing her and the surrounding cast to life in the audio version. As always, I will be looking forward to Mr Weir's next release.