Assholes: A Theory
I need to start choosing my audiobooks better. This would have been much quicker and more enjoyable if I were skimming a print copy than the 5 hours it would take to listen to it.Hearing the word asshole over and over got very tedious.
Happy, Happy, Happy
I think that the appeal of this book is pretty limited to fans of "Duck Dynasty" My family started watching this show last summer and have loved it. Some of my husband's family is from the part of Louisiana the Robertsons live, and it's been fun for me to see the similarities.
You need to go into this book knowing that Phil is a very strong Christian and the references to his belief in God and the bible are pretty constant. Not a big deal for me, but if you can't look past this, then this is not the book for you. Particularly with chapters 13 and 14...you can pretty much skip them. I think Phil needed to write them, you don't necessarily have to read them to get a better understanding of his life and who he is (I think he got his point across very clearly throughout the rest of the book).
I enjoyed this autobiography, it is a short book and gives a bit of backstory to what we've seen on tv. Phil seems to be a very interesting man, and his account of his life sheds light on his intelligence, and perseverance.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
picked this up at the library after a conversation with the guy that did my last tattoo...just opened it and realized that I think I had the children's version of this book when I was a kid. trying to kickstart my creativity after a long hiatus - we'll see what the exercises in this book do....
Counterfeit Magic (Women of the Otherworld)
I love this series. I hadn't realized that there were several novellas published, so now I have one more novella and then the final book in the series to read...this really got to the heart of why I love Armstrong's books - the characters and relationships ring true, and the main characters are wonderful, strong women. And a splash if supernatural never hurt anything ;)
Art Nouveau
I'm going through a phase of art history research to inspire my own artistic endeavors. I won't remember most of what I read (and since I didn't read this for an art history course, I don't need to). But I'm left with a much better understanding of Art Nouveau. I was surprised at how little I knew about this art style. Jennifer Government
This book had been on my wishlist for a while...so long, in fact, that I had forgotten why I put it on there and what it was about.The little blurb on the cover said it is a cross between Catch-22 and The Matrix. I would say it absolutely had elements of the absurdist satirical humor of Catch-22, though I didn't really get the Matrix comparison. Very vaguely made me think of Snow Crash, but only because both books feature a completely privatized society (the similarities stop there)
Good, but not great...
Infernal Devices (Angry Robot)
I'm not sure why this didn't grab me. It has a lot of elements that I usually love. I think the story was just too fractured and even though it all made sense in the end, it took too long to come together and I felt lost most of the time.
The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, No. 1)
It's your typical "need to suspend your disbelief" children's mystery adventure.I like the audio...I'm interested enough to continue the series
I really enjoyed this podiobook. Great narration, great story. The only problem I had with it was the recap at the beginning of each episode, which I get was there because it was released as a serial...but coming to the book after it was complete and listening it all at once, well, it got a bit tiring.
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
While I can't say that I loved this book, it was the perfect thing for my sleepless night. Oh, the joys of insomnia - at least I can get some reading done in the quiet of the wee hours.Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons reminds me of reality tv...the trainwreck crazy stories you can't stop watching. Peeling back the covers to see the melodrama beneath. Though, the steadfastness of the friendships through the decades gave me the warm and fuzzies.
It made me really wish I was part of a close knit book club like this - minus all the crazy secrets and drama.
Lightning
When I think about the books that shaped my reading tastes, I feel like this was the defining book. So I reread it with a little trepidation. I didn't even want to read others' reviews of it for fear that any criticism would spoil the image I have of it in my head.I was 11 when my cousin gave me this book to read. With the exception of the classics I was reading at the time, it was the first 'adult' book I remember reading and it set me on my path of this genre...I then started blasting through any Dean Koontz and Stephen King I could get my hands on, even though my mom wasn't thrilled with this turn in my reading choices.
As I started reading it this time around I was convinced that I wouldn't enjoy it as much knowing what was going to happen. I apparently had too much confidence in my memory because after that first chapter I realized that I had no recollection of the actual plotline.
I'm happy to say that I still love this book. I felt like I got to know the characters and really care about them. The action and suspense kept me turning the pages.
Tattoo
Quite a creepy novella. Overall I thought it was well done, but I wasn't 100% sold on the ending.
Burning Chrome
Only one story that I didn't like...wow...that's impressive in a short story collection. "Johnny Mnemonic - 5 stars - definitely going to reread this story."
"The Gernsback Continuum - 5 stars - I just recently read this story, but for the life of me can't remember where. even better the second time around."
"Fragments of a Holographic Rose - 2.5 stars - really didn't get this one..."
"Hinterlands - 4 stars
"Red Star, Winter Orbit - 4 stars
The Winter Market - 5 stars"
"New Rose Hotel - 4 stars
"Dogfight - 4 stars"
"Burning Chrome - 5 stars"
Sundered (Nevermore Trilogy, #1)
I liked the premise. I was a bit disappointed in the writing, but it wasn't horrible. I was, however, very disappointed in the (lack of) ending. Seriously, there's no reason to force a trilogy of novellas with cliffhangers when you can have a decent longer length novel.
Puccini's Ghosts
It is rare for me to like a book where I do not like any of the characters (even if I'm not meant to like them). But while I didn't like the characters in Puccini's Ghosts, there was a melancholy that carried me through and compelled me to keep turning the pages.
What Zombies Fear: A Father's Quest
Ahhhh...I love zombies....I truly do...and this was just a fun, action filled zombie story. Read it in one sitting.