odin45mp's reviews
1062 reviews

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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5.0

A new Neil Gaiman book. What can I say? He paints pictures with words with the hand of an expert. He imagines scenes and situations so fully realized that I almost think that they've happened to me. He describes dreamscapes as real as the house I grew up in. While the novel is branded "for adults", it contains only a few small elements that most readers would consider "adult", and they're told from a child's perspective so unless you know what is being referenced it comes across as strange, but not inappropriate. I could see a young Thomas enjoying this book as a child just as much as Thomas the adult enjoyed it.

It is not a long novel, and I finished it in one glorious sitting. I look forward to letting it sit in my mind for a month or two, then re-reading it.
To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu by George Takei

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4.0

This is an excellent read that focuses on the life of George Takei. It spends less than half of the book on his Star Trek career, and instead focuses on his childhood and acting education. I really appreciated his insight into the life of a Japanese-American during and post-WWII, even though he was just a child when the war occurred.

He seems to harbor a bit of a grudge against William Shatner, which may be justified based on what I've read about the man.

One thing that I found absolutely fascinating is that he almost never mentions his personal life beyond the family he grew up in, and thus avoided having to discuss and explain his sexual orientation. I think it is very telling how closeted homosexuals had to and sometimes still have to be in the public eye. It is also interesting to read some of his anecdotes knowing what we know about the very relaxed, very open, and very candid George Takei that we know and love on the Internet today.

Worth reading for anyone interested in Star Trek, beginning actors, and the Japanese-American experience in the 20th century.
Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

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4.0

A fun twist on the Marvel characters with great dialogue. Good artists, too.
Treason by Peter David

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3.0

This is the first New Frontier novel I've read, I got it as part of a bundle on sale. I felt a bit lost, being dropped into a group of characters that I had no background information for. I picked up bits and pieces along the way, but I think the impact of the story was lessened since I didn't have 15 books to build up my feelings for the characters first. It was competently written and well paced, so I gave it 3 stars. I might pick up some other New Frontier novels and start from the start someday.

The cover art is beautiful and striking, definitely a step above most Trek novel art.