I have to admit didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first in the trilogy. As with the first, I was listening to the audiobook (and with many interruptions as I spend a lot of time listening to political podcasts in between audiobook listens), so maybe it’s better in book form, but I found it rather a confusing series of events with much less character development. I’ve heard there’s a ton of typos in the paperback, though, so that probably would have driven me nuts. […]
Creepy Meets Crazy Meets Comical
I should start with a couple disclaimers. 1) I am recovering from ankle surgery so I’m loaded with Percocet right now and might either get loopy or fall asleep before I’m done writing this up, but I also happen to have free time so here I am. 2) I am internet friends with the author of this book, but I think I can objectively tell you it’s a fun book even if I also know she’s a fun person. Kathy has written for Cracked and Mental Floss, […]
The Space Time Continuum Is Collapsing in a Delightful Romp
It is inevitable that I start by comparing To Say Nothing of the Dog to Doomsday Book, the other Connie Willis novel I recently reviewed. Though very much related in that involves the same delightful Oxford time travel team, this is a very different story, much more a light-hearted romp through Victorian England with references to mystery novels of that time (and later times). In spite of how very different the tone of the book is, I loved it as well. It’s like Doctor Who–some episodes are fun and […]
From Appalachia to Yankeedom, This Land Was Made From Eleven Nations
I first learned about this book in an article, probably this one, which shows how long it sometimes takes me to actually get around to reading my nonfiction books, since that article is dated November 2013. The concept interested me as someone who has lived in various states and lived outside the U.S., which gave an interesting perspective looking back at my own homeland. Now that I’ve read this book I can see that I’ve lived in probably five of the North American nations posited by Colin […]
Asteroids! Aliens! Apocalypse! Atari! (OK, no Atari, that’s just me)
The best thing I can tell you about Fear the Sky is that I plan to read (or listen to, as I listened to the audiobook version) the sequels. Really, if you have any interest in this book, that’s the best starting place. It made me interested in learning more of the story. When I downloaded this audiobook, I didn’t know much about it. I think it was just recommended by Audible. I hadn’t read hard science fiction in a long time; it’s one of those genres I read in phases. […]
Time Travel With Heart (and Heartbreak)
I’ve read this book before (maybe twice before) but it had been so long that I felt it was due for a re-read and review. Obviously, I’m a fan. Connie Willis can be a bit verbose and repetitive here and there, but I eat it all up anyway. (I also love J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen King, T.H. White, and George R.R. Martin, so I can deal with a bit of verbosity and lengthy description). The story starts at Oxford University in the year 2054 in a […]