Confessions Of A Bookaholic
Judgment Comes. This was the third entry into this series, but because of the way it does a soft retcon of the primary character, this *could* serve as an alternate entry point into the series. Not that I recommend that, but it *could* be done. Excellent third chapter of the story, looking forward to what is next.
This review of Beyond Judgment by Richard Bard was originally published on October 26, 2018.
Excellent Continuation. This book continues the storyline and pacing from the previous book and raises the stakes quite a bit in the process. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll enjoy this one, but as this is the second book in the series, you really do need to start from the beginning.
I wound up dinging this one a star because of the author’s continued miscommunication about guns. The vast majority of which do not have “clips”, they have “magazines”. And there are *few* fully automatic pistols, virtually none of which even military contractors would be allowed to have on the streets of the United States. So while the author continually refers to characters having “automatics”, they really should be “semi-automatics” or even just “pistols” or “sidearms”.
All that said, this series is a solid thriller with elements of scifi – if you like either genre, you may well like this series and I absolutely recommend checking it out.
This review of The Enemy of My Enemy by Richard Bard was originally published on October 25, 2018.
What A Rush. This was a very good book, even if I did have a few quibbles with it as an Autistic. The action is among the craziest I’ve seen in novel form, in all the best ways. And the pacing of the abilities and how they are discovered is slow enough to seem “plausible” and yet quick enough to keep the action going well. Excellent work, looking forward to the rest of the series.
This review of Brainrush by Richard Bard was originally published on October 23, 2018.
Epic Conclusion. The build to the ultimate conclusion was epic, the “final fight” was as awesome as it needed to be, and the stakes overall were appropriate. Masterful work.
This review of Jurassic Dead 3 by Rick Chesler and David Sakmyster was originally published on September 30, 2018.
Zombie Dinosaurs Attack Washington DC. Seriously, what more do you need to know, particularly in the modern political climate? This book continues shortly after Jurassic Dead left off and ups the ante even more than the “zombie dinosaurs exist” premise of the first book. Read Jurassic Dead first, but you’re going to want to start this book immediately following it!
This review of Jurassic Dead 2 by Rick Chesler and David Sakmyster was originally published on September 30, 2018.
Zombie. Dinosaurs. Read it for that premise alone! Seriously, what more do you need? Do you want me to tell you that this was a very fast paced, easy read full of action? It was. Do you want me to tell you that there was enough resolved here to make it feel like a complete story? It was. Do you want me to tell you that the authors left enough open to continue the overall story arc? They did. Now, quit reading this review and go pick up this book!
This review of Jurassic Dead by Rick Chesler and David Sakmyster was originally published on September 28, 2018.
Not Your Typical Post-Apocalypse Story. This book played out like a FAR superior version of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road – so fans of that book (and sadly, it has legions) should like this one as well. Except whereas that book was so extremely dark, bleak, and miserable, this one tries to approach things with a much more plausible, real world tone and outlook. Yes, there are challenges. But we face them one step at a time – for hundreds of thousands of steps. Overall a very refreshing yet serious take on the post Apocalyptic genre, and a worthy first ever Century Book for me.
This review of The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J Walker was originally published on September 26, 2018.
Left-Central Elite Doesn’t Get Movies. I wanted to like this one, I *really* did. The title and description sounded *awesome*. Unfortunately, the book itself was a gold mine – the single *worst* description of a book I’ve ever used. Meaning you have to sift through a LOT of detritus to find even a single good flake, and an actual nugget worth of goodness is even more rare. Biskind looks at movies as old as WWII and as recent as Black Panther, all in service of a central premise that is so fatally flawed as to be laughable. This subject could have been handled very differently and a compelling case could have been made, but Biskind failed to really even make an attempt to make it. That said, his publisher has their stated goal of “sparking conversations”, and in *that* regard, this book may be at least somewhat successful… though maybe in the “any press is better than no press” kind of way.
This review of The Sky Is Falling by Peter Biskind was originally published on September 11, 2018.
Book And Movie Equally Awesome – In Their Own Ways. I was first exposed to the tale of The Postman through the movie starring Kevin Costner and Will Patton – and I love that movie so much it inspired one of my tattoos. The book is VERY different, though of the same tone and with at least some of the early events similar if not identical. In particular, the point of becoming the Postman and the first time the costume is used in Pine View are almost identical, though from there the story diverges. Whereas the movie gave us a tale of a singular tyrannical Holnist – Will Patton’s General Bethlehem – that is constantly right on the cusp of killing the Postman and everything he holds dear, the book is more of a tale of the Postman’s travels and survival across Oregon. Both share that it isn’t just the Postman’s survival that is in peril, but that of the very concept of hope. And both ultimately share the tale of how that other most powerful force – love – is the strength that allows hope to survive. How each tells these tales, and the other points each makes along the way, are very, very different. But how the book – written over three decades ago – speaks to the modern political era is particularly prescient, and for that reason alone the book is well worth the 5 stars.
This review of The Postman by David Brin was originally published on September 1, 2018.
Go Right! For a Fitting Conclusion. OK, so the “Go Right!” bit is somewhat of an inside joke you’ll get to when you read this book. Overall, with this book Battles once again collapses the global to the personal, and in so doing gives us a very fitting end to the series – while allowing other tales in this world. We get answers for one central character somewhat early in this book, but overall the arc of this book truly is Captain Daniel Ash’s final revenge against the organization that took nearly everything from him before he even knew they existed. The ending, in particular, was a bit mind bending in a very cool way that is not unique, but is fairly rare. Absolutely a fitting end to an excellent series, and one that leaves the reader with an adequate sense of closure.
This review of Down by Brett Battles was originally published on July 30, 2018.