Never in my life have I read a book with such blatant use of the word “fuck” and all of its derivatives. Honestly, The Electric Church has more swearing in it than Theresa’s sister in a bad mood, and let me assure you that that is a sizable amount. Jeff Somers either has a severe case of sailors mouth, or he has an almost unhealthy penchant with the word.
I’m impressed with The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.
I thought it was going to be a dry, boring read, much like Everything Must Go. I was mistaken (mostly) and by the end I found myself devouring the last pages. Despite its small dimensions, the novel sports 401 pages, 300 of which were a fantastic, engrossing read. Kim Edwards does a wonderful job of getting the emotion across as well as managing to make very real characters.
Why can’t the new series make books that match the caliber of the old series. This is probably the newest one that I have read of the original(ish) series, and its grandeur dwarfs any of the new series with out even batting an eyelash. Taking place during the Sixth Doctors’ time, The Quantum Archangel is a sequel of The Time Monster from the Third Doctors’ time in the limelight.
Who knew that reading about a gay man who dresses in drag and his call-boy lover would be all that interesting? I sure didn’t! To be honest had someone suggested it to me, I probably would have sprained my eyebrow from the speed in which it would’ve raised. All that aside, I Am Not Myself These Days is a great first book to the year. Starting off with your good foot and all that.
Finally! A new series that actually has a little body to it. I was honestly starting to lose hope in the new adventures. The Last Dodo puts a little bit of that darkness, that deep reflection of the Doctors that has been until now has been sorely lacking from the new books. Though there is only a small moment of it (part of which is quoted in this review) it demonstrates what I’ve been talking about over he past couple books. I know that the authors were probably told that they need to ease into it all, what with trying to nail such a wide demographic and so many new readers, but have a little compassion for those who’ve stuck with the series all these years.
So much like the other 3 million people – if the cover tells the truth – who have bought this book, I caved and decided to read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I admit that it has interested me for a while, but I’m adverse to reading much of what the general public reads. I don’t even want to start on The DaVinci Code. What is shocking is that it took this long for the book to become such a hit. It was originally printed 12 years ago. 12!
Where to begin with this one? I honestly don’t know and I’m at a bit of a loss. Maybe I’m just not used to reading this style of book. Maybe I just don’t get the point behind it. Maybe I overlooked some obvious and keen insight that everyone else picked up on. No matter how you put it, I still don’t know what to make of this one.
I really wish I could find a good quote from this book, but I assure you that every one of them is offensive and far too vivid. I’m serious in saying that this is the most blunt, graphic, degrading, disgusting, non-pornographic article I have ever read. The best part is that you can pick it up in Chapters. Right off the shelf. There isn’t even a disclaimer, though I’m being totally truthful that anyone who lets a minor read this should be shot. Now having said that this book is either the equivalent of a harlequin novel for women, or the most subtly brilliant thing I’ve read. To be honest, I think it’s both.
How to describe Douglas Coupland’s new novel “The Gum Thief?” I’m struggling for words here because I’m fairly sure I’d need too many, and probably have to create a few just for the effect to truly sink in. I think I’ll go with ‘depressing and beautiful.’ It’s sad and its magical. It’s bleak and its stunning, It’s a fire-y car crash between two massive trucks carrying nothing but bright, floaty balloons.
Today I completed the Doctor Who novel “The Price of Paradise” written by Colin Brake, and features the 10th Doctor and Rose.
The synopsis is fairly straight-forward: Laylora is a perfect planet. Pristine and beautiful, and the residents live a nomadic life and praise the planet like a deity. The Doctor and Rose show up just as another Ship crash-lands. He lends a helping hand to get them off the planet, but the planet is working on removing them in her own way. The planet is, for lack of a better term, allergic to all outside objects. This includes alien people, ships, waste product, etc. Oh, and did I mention that the planet can turn it’s native people into giant hive-minded furry things with 4 arms that have scythes for claws?
Que the hilarity.
I started reading this book directly on the tail-end of The Zombie Survival Guide. I have to say that where the Guide failed to impress, this book delivers.
The book takes place years after what the Guide specified as a “Class 4″ or when Zombies overthrew the world, and mankind goes into hiding. The book is basically a recount of peoples tales of what happened before, during and after the “Great Panic”.
When I started reading this book, I can honestly say that I was expecting a humourous, maybe even cute survivalists guide to a Ghoul outbreak. Lord, even something that was at the very least eccentric in its writing style or message.
Hell was I wrong.