tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9781629951847938242024-03-12T19:49:40.234-07:00Sporadic ReviewsReviews. Infrequently.kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.comBlogger357125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-69437944663660513092024-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:002024-01-22T09:48:00.237-08:00Book Review: Ghostdrift by Suzanne Palmer<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198136840-ghostdrift" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Ghostdrift (Finder Chronicles #4)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1705446432l/198136840._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198136840-ghostdrift">Ghostdrift</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5105382.Suzanne_Palmer">Suzanne Palmer</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6190099800">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The Finder Chronicles has been one of those series I eagerly anticipate the next installment. Each story is set in a completely different setting than the previous novel, giving the world depth, but Fergus always remains a fun, interesting main character - and he has growth throughout each adventure.<br /><br />Ghostdrift is billed on the back cover as the fourth and final novel in the Finder Chronicles. That makes me sad. No more of these adventures?! This does make a satisfying resolution to Fergus' story though, as he comes to accept who he is and what's been done to him. The ending of Ghostdrift leaves the world and possibilities open to new stories though. So I will hope for more when the author decides to return to Fergus. <br /><br />Read the entire series! Then read it again! I can only imagine reading these books back to back would make an even better adventure!<br /><br />Review eARC provided by Netgalley.
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-31786214863501622322023-11-14T14:17:00.000-08:002023-11-14T14:17:44.299-08:00Book Review: Kinfolk<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180621562-kinfolk" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Kinfolk (A Mutiny of Pirates Book 1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1692381573l/180621562._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180621562-kinfolk">Kinfolk</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16338064.August_Niehaus">August Niehaus</a><br />
My GoodReads rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5972879668">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Overall Kinfolk was an enjoyable book.<div> <br />Kin, the main character, was supposed to be a war-hardened badass but he came across as an incompetent, constantly horny, distracted basket case. His awesomeness is told to us more often than shown to us.</div><div><br />Fraya, the captain of the pirate crew Kin serves with, is always kissing her crew, flirting with them, trying to seduce one or more of them... and it's never explained why she's like that. It's implied her crew loves her and would do anything for her, but it seems more like her crew are just thirsty for her. Most of the rest of the crew are side characters.</div><div> <br />The main antagonist, Tana, is a cartoony villain who seems like she just wants to have sex with everything. In fact, a lot of the characters seem like all they want to do is have sex with the main character. Tana's motivations are revealed late, but not thoroughly explored nor explained other than cursorily.<br /><br /></div><div>Cessie, the young girl Kin kind of adopts, is awesome and the only believable character. <br /><br /><div>The best part of the book is that there's a treasure hunt, but it's not resolved, and that ongoing threat is saved for future books.</div><div><br /></div><div>I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Netgalley for the purposes of this review. <br /><br />
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</div></div>kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-73512881930414512792023-09-19T15:32:00.000-07:002023-09-19T15:32:07.918-07:00Book Review: Murderbot #7 System Collapse - No Spoilers<p> </p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65211701-system-collapse" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674575978l/65211701._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65211701-system-collapse">System Collapse</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/87305.Martha_Wells">Martha Wells</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5842705038">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
No Spoilers there, but this is another exciting, fun entry in the Murderbot Diaries. It opens en media res and the action rarely stops. <br /><br />MB and it's close friend ART are a fun, playfully antagonistic pair with a high regard for the protection of their humans, and maybe the mission too. <br /><br />MB is growing as a real, feeling being and it's nice to see it grow and realize it needs help sometimes, both physically and mentally. MB's mental health and PTSD is a constant subplot as its story progresses.<br /><br />When's the next book out?!
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-45049300358667811812021-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:002021-04-03T07:41:08.264-07:00Book Review: The Ninth Metal<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42052285-the-ninth-metal" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Ninth Metal (The Comet Cycle, #1)" border="0" height="262" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover210864-medium.png" width="174" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42052285-the-ninth-metal">The Ninth Metal</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/215907.Benjamin_Percy">Benjamin Percy</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3923988945">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
A superhero origin story in disguise as a rough family drama. <br /><br />Only, the superheroes are more anti-hero. There's really no likeable characters in this book. John, arguably, the main character is a murderer and his family is basically the local mafia. Stacie, the rookie cop, is a wholesome character but is changed by the events of the book. Victoria basically tortures a kid "for science" but knows it's wrong and wants to free him. There are other characters that come and go, all are driven to extremes because of the gold-rush atmosphere after a meteor crashes into their town and leaves masses of a new metal that has world-changing properties.<br /><br />Speaking of the meteor - it's like if the vibranium meteor from the Marvel movie Black Panther crashed in Minnesota instead of Wakanda. The metal has many properties similar to that comic book metal, at least as portrayed in the MCU movies. <br /><br />Hints sprinkled throughout the story indicate there may be more to the metal than just as a power source and creation of superheroes. Lovecraftian dreams, portals to elsewhere are just a part of the subtle world-building I hope is explored deeper in the sequel. I didn't realize this was the first book in a series until I looked it up on Goodreads. I'm intrigued enough by the world-building to read the sequel when it comes out.<br /><br />Review eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-60944959066289960022020-11-17T13:31:00.003-08:002020-11-17T13:31:52.173-08:00Book Review: Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53965796-from-a-certain-point-of-view" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (From a Certain Point of View, #2)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594737990l/53965796._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53965796-from-a-certain-point-of-view">From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7877552.Elizabeth_Schaefer">Elizabeth Schaefer</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3647263737">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Not nearly as good as the first one. I found myself not caring about most of the characters that were created for this book. There wasn't any "WOW, So that's what was going on during the movie!" in most of the stories as there was during the first book.<br /><br />That being said here are a few of the stories that stood out to me:<br />The Willrow Hood story - interesting to have some of his (and the camtono's) backstory.<br />The Man Who Built Cloud City story - I knew what was going on with him pretty much from the start, but it was still a cute story.<br />The Wampa story was interesting/sad. <br />The tauntaun stories made me mad at the Rebels... <br />
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-67648080567517134332020-10-10T07:40:00.005-07:002020-10-10T07:40:49.466-07:00Book Review: Hench<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51200401-hench" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Hench" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597747195l/51200401._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51200401-hench">Hench</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20563409.Natalie_Zina_Walschots">Natalie Zina Walschots</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3473194024">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Hench grabbed me off the street and held me for ransom! I could not put it down. <br /><br />As I was reading I thought to myself "Oh I know how where this is going", and it kind of did but in a way that surprised me. I was pleased I hadn't guessed the ending. <br /><br />The main character, Anna, is the only main character that really gets any development. Keller and Quantum Entanglement both get some development, but I'd consider them secondary characters. Everyone else is a bit player there to serve Anna's development. That's not a bad thing as it's her story.<br /><br />Perched high above my city I watch, waiting for the sequel.
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-86474475664706553362020-03-10T08:00:00.000-07:002020-03-10T08:00:00.310-07:00Book Review: Devolution by Max Brooks<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47914534-devolution" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566875204l/47914534._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47914534-devolution">Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5791.Max_Brooks">Max Brooks</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3194073555">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47914534.Devolution_A_Firsthand_Account_of_the_Rainier_Sasquatch_Massacre" rel="nofollow" title="Devolution A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks">Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre</a><br />
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When Mt. Ranier erupts, a green community in the middle of nowhere is overrun by Sasquatch and must find a way to survive, or die trying.<br />
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I liked the main character, Kate, relates her current experiences back to what she experienced during the earthquake in California. Like seeing the evacuation traffic stuck on the highways, comparing the Earthquakes happening at night, the differences in the shaking, general lifestyles, etc. Being from California, she calls I-5 “the 5” which apparently is a California thing; in the Seattle area we do NOT call it “the 5.” I found it clever whenever she addressed something ridiculous they needed to do to Siri to point out how reliant on technology they’d become. <br />
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I liked Dan’s character-change from when he first arrives to when another kicked him into action, the foreshadowing in the brother’s/park ranger’s notes: the first “find” of the animal remains, etc. <br />
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The use of bigfoot lore added to the “realism” of the story: the smells, knocking/banging/howls, rock-throwing, mention of Grover Krantz a couple of times, etc. As did the use of PNW details: blackberry bushes (are EVERYWHERE in the PNW), there really is a Whole Foods on Denny Way, Puyallup <i>“Did I spell that right?”</i> Heck, not even locals can spell or pronounce it right!<br />
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During the final batter, I liked the use of broken glass and their cars. The exploding houses were gratuitous but I liked it.<br />
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I had to Google what “Devolution” means:<br />
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<blockquote>
Definition, from Google: <i>noun - the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration</i>. This seems appropriate, as this is a story of the transfer of power from, eventually, the Bigfoots to the group.<br />
<i>Similar: Decentralization, delegation, dispersal, distribution, transfer, surrender, relinquishment</i>. - All appropriate for this book.<br />
<i>FORMAL: descent or degeneration to a lower or worse state. </i> Definitely the characters of Tony and Yvette.<br />
<i>LAW: the legal transfer of property from one owner to another.</i> Applies to Kate’s house? Wasn’t it her brother's?</blockquote>
Some things I wasn’t crazy about:<br />
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It’s written as a “journal” or “found footage” - I’m not a fan of that style of writing. The book had footnotes. Which were only necessary because of the “journal” trope. They should have been worked into the narrative somehow. But since it’s supposed to be a “real” book about these events, I guess it fits. I was confused about the parts that aren’t Kate’s journals. Who’s writing them? Her brother? The “author” of the book? Multiple people?<br />
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I didn’t relate to any of the characters, so I didn’t really care about any of them. They were all caricatures or stereotypes. There was so much talk/info in the beginning of the book about the Mount St. Helen eruption that I forgot about the current setting, the modernity of Greenloop, that I thought the book was taking place around the time of that eruption. I didn’t remember the current-day setting until we got back to Greenloop. I was 42% in, and there was still no horror. Not even much suspense. Just the vague sense of foreboding that’s telegraphed from the parts that aren’t Kate’s journals… and the book jacket. Mostly just “this thing happened. Then this thing happened.” At about 60% in we finally get some action/thriller-type stuff.<br />
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I’m not a fan of graphic descriptions of gore. There was a lot in the final battle. Yeah, it’s sold as a horror novel so I expected it at some point, still don’t like it.<br />
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A couple of other items:<br />
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For someone writing a journal or letters to her brother or whatever, that wasn’t fond of the idea in the first place, Kate sure is good at writing and noting every little detail. <br />
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The end. While I kinda liked the author/brother/whoever is writing trying to come up with logical things that could have happened to Kate and Pal based on evidence, I didn’t like not knowing. It felt kind of like the ending the Clue movie: “but here’s what REALLY happened!” Give us a scene with a helicopter landing and seeing them cowering in a doorway, give us a scene of them walking out of the mountain into a SAR bivouac, give a reunion scene with Kate and her brother. Actually end Kate’s story.<br />
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Note, I was given a copy of this book by the publisher to participate in the Emerald City Comic Con Horror Book Club, which was canceled along with the Con due to the COVID-19 virus plaguing the Seattle area (and many other places). <br />
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-44719750753101552252019-12-19T10:45:00.003-08:002019-12-19T10:45:55.635-08:00My Year in Books at GoodReadsCheck out #MyYearInBooks @goodreads to see the 44 books I read in 2019! https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2019/2534866kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-81890248526627209562019-08-30T20:08:00.001-07:002019-08-30T20:08:25.797-07:00Review: The Last Astronaut
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42793982" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556647866l/42793982._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Last Astronaut" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42793982">The Last Astronaut</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24827">David Wellington</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2950890545">3 of 5 stars</a>
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Sort of a "Rendezvous With Rama" but as a horror/weird novel. Maybe even shades of Lovecraft. <br />The characters are damaged, make bad decisions - they're human. <br /><br />The ending frustrated me: a decision is made that, if you think about it, only delays the big problem of the story.
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-84494542081021353562019-08-12T11:56:00.000-07:002019-08-12T11:56:22.824-07:00Reread of the The Lord of the Rings<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13510444-the-lord-of-the-rings" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330855500l/13510444._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13510444-the-lord-of-the-rings">The Lord of the Rings</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/656983.J_R_R_Tolkien">J.R.R. Tolkien</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2887452950">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I first read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33.The_Lord_of_the_Rings__The_Lord_of_the_Rings___1_3_" rel="nofollow" title="The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3) by J.R.R. Tolkien">The Lord of the Rings</a> when I was a teenager and loved it. I may have re-read it once after that before now. Recently, Amazon had the Kindle version of The Lord of the Rings on sale for three bucks - I couldn't pass up that deal. I have a hard copy of the book, but ebooks are easier to read in the dark while my wife sleeps.<br />
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I found, rereading LOTR again, that the movie version - and having read novels by authors like <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38809.James_Rollins" rel="nofollow" title="James Rollins">James Rollins</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83714.Matthew_Reilly" rel="nofollow" title="Matthew Reilly">Matthew Reilly</a> - have spoiled me for getting to straight to the plot and moving it along, with sparse descriptions of only what you need to know right now. Whereas the book of LOTR simmers, meanders, repeats, wanders, <i>marinates</i> you in the world of Middle-Earth.<br />
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I found myself skimming, and downright skipping, huge swathes of the book this reread. That makes me sad for my reading attention span. <br />
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<br />kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-83842327581522416492019-07-13T21:25:00.001-07:002019-07-13T21:25:22.784-07:00Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41559148-empress-of-forever" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Empress of Forever" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539114262l/41559148._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41559148-empress-of-forever">Empress of Forever</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3405346.Max_Gladstone">Max Gladstone</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">So... when I read the back of the book. I thought to myself, I know exactly what the twist is and how it ends. I got about 10% in and couldn't take it anymore, I jumped to that last couple of chapters, and I was pretty close. Gave up on it.</span><br />
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-34202646063092984362019-07-13T17:47:00.000-07:002019-07-13T17:47:01.495-07:00Postgraduate by Ian Shane<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44788571-postgraduate" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Postgraduate" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554436992l/44788571._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44788571-postgraduate">Postgraduate</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4612695.Ian_Shane">Ian Shane</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2876506096">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Ian Shane's writing in Postgraduate captures the drama, friendships, and struggles of young adults in college still finding themselves, and of the middle-aged struggling with discovering who they've become is not who they set out to be. The loss of friends, family, and relationships is felt throughout. <br />
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Each chapter is titled after a song in the playlist of the life of the main character, Danny, and shows Shane's own love of the music from his college years. Danny's recover from a divorce leads to a mid-life crisis; as he rebuilds his music collection he decides to start an internet radio station built on the bones of his old college radio station. A chance call from an old professor gives Danny the chance to recover a lost love, attempt to mend old friendships, and mend himself in the process. <br />
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Within Postgraduate, I like how the story flows from Danny's middle-age life, back to his college years telling the story of what started him on his path, and back to Danny's current life as he must face the music and start all over.<br />
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-18911791628202937362018-08-21T18:29:00.000-07:002018-08-21T18:29:57.247-07:00Good book! Stars Uncharted<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36644837-stars-uncharted" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Stars Uncharted" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1514774387m/36644837.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36644837-stars-uncharted">Stars Uncharted</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9873816.S_K_Dunstall">S.K. Dunstall</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2494581248">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book hit many of my likes in a story!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Space travel.</li>
<li>Set in an indeterminate future time.</li>
<li>Space salvage (though not much of this, and mostly just kind of mentioned).</li>
<li>No aliens.</li>
<li>Tech that just exists, with no need to explain it.</li>
<li>Male and female characters that don't fall in love and are just friends or co-workers (though a couple of them maybe started down that path).</li>
<li>Main characters living on the raggedy-edge of making a living, worrying about where their next paycheck is coming from, but happily working for it doing what they want.</li>
</ul>
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And probably many more.<br />
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Read it!<br />
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-59648281972841479632017-12-29T09:04:00.000-08:002017-12-29T09:04:59.750-08:002017 Year in ReviewCheck out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2017/2534866?utm_source=twitter">My Year In Books</a> on Goodreads!<br />
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And I more than completed my reading goal! (and I'm not finished yet!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/5493-2017-reading-challenge" rel="nofollow"><img alt="2017 Reading Challenge" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/challenges/1486591746p2/5493.jpg" style="border: 0 none; float: left; margin-right: 10px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer" rel="nofollow">SporadicReviews.com</a> has
completed his goal of reading
50 books in
2017!
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<br />kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-82506487677558245112017-07-13T20:31:00.001-07:002017-07-13T20:31:23.650-07:00Review: Days Until Home
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32287958" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474986861m/32287958.jpg" border="0" alt="Days Until Home" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32287958">Days Until Home</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7752902">Mark Gardner</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2059483828">4 of 5 stars</a>
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What an interesting idea for writing and structuring a book. <br />I couldn't tell one author's sections from another - so the book/narrative flowed well. The story kept me reading, and kept me guessing whodunit right up until the end. Which I think was the point. <br />Interesting characters, interesting backstories, interesting world-building. <br /><br />Good stuff!
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2059483828">View all my reviews</a>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-58827433401702457402017-05-23T19:50:00.001-07:002017-05-23T19:50:14.751-07:00Review: The Clockwork Dynasty
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32670125" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487262612m/32670125.jpg" border="0" alt="The Clockwork Dynasty" /></a>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32670125">The Clockwork Dynasty</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33773">Daniel H. Wilson</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2004041410">4 of 5 stars</a>
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Fascinating world-building.<br /><br />I want to know more about the avtomats and their history - specifically, what their anima is and how it's made! <br /><br />Another good book from Daniel H. Wilson! <br /><br /><br /><br />I got an ARC of this book for review from NetGalley.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2004041410">View all my reviews</a>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-57926325540247093202017-03-15T08:30:00.000-07:002017-03-15T08:30:26.049-07:00Aye, Robot - a review<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34496879-aye-robot-a-rex-nihilo-adventure" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Aye, Robot (A Rex Nihilo Adventure) (Starship Grifters Book 2)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488842008m/34496879.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34496879-aye-robot-a-rex-nihilo-adventure">Aye, Robot (A Rex Nihilo Adventure)</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2772365.Robert_Kroese">Robert Kroese</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1937263762">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Another fun Rex Nihilo book. Not as ...crazy as the first one, but still had some moments of "Did I really just read that? And why did I enjoy it so much?" <br />
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When I first found this book on Amazon, I tweeted this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/SporadicReviews/status/840243858466201600"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-In3eFI16mSs/WMjRWHrv-KI/AAAAAAABIhI/Gr7eYCIGT1oqf7Q3hDOxh9dbDhsqciavACLcB/s320/rex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So yeah, I'll be looking out for more Rex Nihilo books.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer">View all my reviews</a>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-5114929771017860922017-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:002017-01-30T08:00:16.975-08:00WHAT COULD IT BE?! News Release from my local library!My local library emailed me the below teaser for their new website. Sounds exciting!
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /><table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; width: 500px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/9EII8HFxKcyKV9sS9stib0XcIKnGTxy0NhxvTOhoqmDTA1VCt30Z_zCDzorlPUk5NHGGJDXBw_SKVE3ZcbcqUBWZNTVWr4w-8xggt1XeehbtSF2pU7lNi7tlZjY-t6nR8hyuzfOwKg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://go.bespoton.com/uploads/BD1OYC2611/resources/images/New-Logo-Color(1).png" style="cursor: pointer; height: 166px; outline: 0px; width: 400px;" tabindex="0" /></td></tr>
<tr><td style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">Sno-Isle Libraries has more than a million items for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">It's about to get easier to find what you’re looking for, discover new things AND give you the choice to share your experiences with others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">Get ready for the opportunity to widen your horizons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">On <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1311371825" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Feb. 1, 2017</span></span>, Sno-Isle Libraries will introduce a new way to access library materials. We like to think of it as a “discovery layer,” offering you a powerful tool to delve into the richness of the collection and resources available through Sno-Isle Libraries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">And you’ll have the choice to do more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">If you like to share the excitement of your latest book, music, movie or other discovery with friends, family, book-club compatriots or even bus-stop buddies, you’ll love what’s coming to Sno-Isle Libraries. Without giving it away, let’s just say that the world is about to be your oyster.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">Either way, share or not, the choice will be yours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;">The wraps come off on Feb. 1. Keep an eye on your email or go to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://email.librarycustomer.org/wf/click?upn%3DXUY-2FsP-2B3jl-2FH3xvw89w8UP-2BFVXwi7nqY6nWSTK6RknA-3D_YT6f6lXEVUied2KdSi4hZ2NEMapFIQBfacJHQoxnft7ynwjL6N-2Bjl8VqtVkR4ma5Ax6J0BRUU6oukozezOaPkZIzS42YM-2F1xafE79mTERrPDfBgzXBPl43v6PpFuZ61yZgEPEvdNDJZebxDzTlXyddndhbzm-2BW1avKIcWMp-2FAX-2F0Tbp5DKQ1Ttx1tCq6eG2gAFbv6pqdjtiZ5-2BvNNOsUphOQHxqmH8YiOdHGOANSfADXxWa4tkgvmT1tGDBm0ENGm3C1bgQ-2BJRcl0uWiHldEPJ92VI4qdmgQlPhpD66rn-2BMJxAB27X7Asn8jLERw9OUnBgAzaeFw9zY0PNGMLt8XHnnnc3XOujR6F4luA9OIoPQ4dSAwtLs-2FfwVqiHFliSLkQ03UMu2kwKOJJP68wRQN-2FuU7di6NiMBZ2vhvf0eUiok-3D&source=gmail&ust=1485651142626000&usg=AFQjCNFtAGOTvnQ_dLY6LjQYCYO5hTjwFQ" href="http://email.librarycustomer.org/wf/click?upn=XUY-2FsP-2B3jl-2FH3xvw89w8UP-2BFVXwi7nqY6nWSTK6RknA-3D_YT6f6lXEVUied2KdSi4hZ2NEMapFIQBfacJHQoxnft7ynwjL6N-2Bjl8VqtVkR4ma5Ax6J0BRUU6oukozezOaPkZIzS42YM-2F1xafE79mTERrPDfBgzXBPl43v6PpFuZ61yZgEPEvdNDJZebxDzTlXyddndhbzm-2BW1avKIcWMp-2FAX-2F0Tbp5DKQ1Ttx1tCq6eG2gAFbv6pqdjtiZ5-2BvNNOsUphOQHxqmH8YiOdHGOANSfADXxWa4tkgvmT1tGDBm0ENGm3C1bgQ-2BJRcl0uWiHldEPJ92VI4qdmgQlPhpD66rn-2BMJxAB27X7Asn8jLERw9OUnBgAzaeFw9zY0PNGMLt8XHnnnc3XOujR6F4luA9OIoPQ4dSAwtLs-2FfwVqiHFliSLkQ03UMu2kwKOJJP68wRQN-2FuU7di6NiMBZ2vhvf0eUiok-3D" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">sno-isle.org</a> that day for the details on how to begin this new journey. On <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1311371826" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Feb. 1</span></span>, the secret will be out.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-30286045569422700982017-01-17T18:18:00.000-08:002017-01-17T18:18:47.599-08:00Netgalley BadgesHere are the Netgalley badges I've earned:</p>
<img src="https://s2.netgalley.com/badge/bca790e6bd1cf010744894c6251e6192c7ee9170" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/><img src="https://s2.netgalley.com/badge/1c3d43497f8c1de0ec4f859b781ad2421c7b88a9" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/><img src="https://s2.netgalley.com/badge/4005d844a81772ed8df4bb6aa8982e71a6ec3a2e" width="80" height="80" alt="2016 NetGalley Challenge" title="2016 NetGalley Challenge"/>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-78130590124247067992016-12-09T15:38:00.000-08:002016-12-09T15:38:40.468-08:00GoodReads Reading Challenge UpdateI completed my Goodreads.com 2016 Reading Challenge and I'm still going!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/3890-2016-reading-challenge" style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none;">2016 Reading Challenge</a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/3890-2016-reading-challenge"><img alt="2016 Reading Challenge" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/challenges/1451432479p2/3890.jpg" style="border: 0 none; float: left; margin-right: 10px;" /></a>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer">SporadicReviews.com</a> has
completed his goal of reading
40 books in
2016!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/6188550">48 of 40 (100%)</a>
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-30972736837886382702016-12-09T15:32:00.003-08:002016-12-09T15:33:46.486-08:00Book Review: Ocean of Storms<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30112459-ocean-of-storms" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Ocean of Storms" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473206700m/30112459.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30112459-ocean-of-storms">Ocean of Storms</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1190340.Christopher_Mari">Christopher Mari</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1833214391">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Good book! <br />
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I liked the characters. I liked the mystery and discovery on the moon and elsewhere. I liked the conspiracy. I liked the little touch of the one character always going for a drink. <br />
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It was almost a 3rd of the way in before we even got the characters to the moon, but I guess considering what happened once they were in orbit and on the moon, it made sense. <br />
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I wasn't crazy about the earth-side political situation - would have liked more time on the moon and more time with the main characters. <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer">View all my reviews</a>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-86132152380967893062016-08-13T18:58:00.000-07:002016-08-13T18:58:13.695-07:00GoodReads Reading ChallengeI started my GoodReads Reading Challenge a little late...
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/3890-2016-reading-challenge" style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none;">2016 Reading Challenge</a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/3890-2016-reading-challenge"><img alt="2016 Reading Challenge" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/challenges/1451432479p2/3890.jpg" style="border: 0 none; float: left; margin-right: 10px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer">SporadicReviews.com</a> has
read 32 books toward
his goal of
40 books.
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kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-45470638628026119132015-12-10T10:41:00.000-08:002015-12-10T10:41:00.061-08:00I'm in a Mind Meld at SFSignalThough I'm crazy behind on my <a href="http://sporadicbookreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Book">reviews</a>, I was recently invited to participate in a <a href="http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/tag/mind-meld/">Mind Meld</a> post over at <a href="http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2015/12/mind-meld-the-changing-relationship-between-reviewers-publishers-and-authors/">SF Signal</a>. They asked several reviewers, publicists, and authors about the changing relationship between authors, reviewers, and publishers.<br />
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You can read it now at <a href="http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2015/12/mind-meld-the-changing-relationship-between-reviewers-publishers-and-authors/">SFSignal.com</a>.<br />
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<br />kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-31237019568288123302015-06-15T08:35:00.000-07:002015-06-15T08:35:00.119-07:00Book Review: Dark Disciple (Star Wars)<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23616557-dark-disciple" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Dark Disciple: Star Wars" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419183155m/23616557.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23616557-dark-disciple">Dark Disciple: Star Wars</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7710.Christie_Golden">Christie Golden</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1296942570">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Dark Disciple is, I think, probably the best Star Wars novel I have read. It may also be worst Star Wars novel I have ever read, darn it.<br />
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First, let's just get this out of the way: if Obi-Wan ever says he has an idea, or might know someone for a part in a plan, you say NO! And get away quickly. Kenobi's plans never end well. <br />
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The story has some predictable elements, but they're executed well and in a Star Wars way that makes sense. It's also fun getting there, and also heart wrenching.<br />
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Not to spoil too much: I expected someone to die within these pages. I understand why the choice was for that character within the story, throughout the whole of Star Wars - I still didn't want it to happen. <br />
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If you are a fan of Star Wars, especially The Clone Wars series, you must read Dark Disciple!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2534866-sporadicreviews-com-kevin-bayer">View all my reviews</a>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978162995184793824.post-44963254553246031562015-04-16T15:25:00.000-07:002015-04-16T15:25:06.783-07:00HOLY CRAP! Star Wars The Force Awakens Trailer!aksjdghflash;oih<br />
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SO GOOD!! I am so excited for December 18th!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngElkyQ6Rhs" width="560"></iframe>
kevbayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373805626724778955noreply@blogger.com0