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Mollarom

Mollarom@bookwyrm.social

Joined 2 years, 7 months ago

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reviewed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #1)

Becky Chambers: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Hardcover, 2015, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd)

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who …

Review of 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' on 'Goodreads'

What a fun book! It's a rollicking sci-fi tale like Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's Guide, only with characters with better back stories and motivations. I can't help but appreciate how apt the title is. It's all about the journey and the people we meet, not the destination.

reviewed Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel: Sea of Tranquility (Hardcover, 2022, Alfred A. Knopf)

Edwin St. Andrew is eighteen years old when he crosses the Atlantic by steamship, exiled …

Review of 'Sea of Tranquility' on 'Goodreads'

Really hovered between 2 and 3 stars here. Sea of Tranquility is a tightly written sci-fi tale. There's little fat on this book, despite it beginning with a somewhat shiftless dilettante who doesn't play much of a role in the larger story. The book tells the story it wants to tell. There isn't much in the way of detours. That's a sign of a good writer in my opinion, but ultimately the plot failed to really make an impression for me.

reviewed Trigger mortis by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz: Trigger mortis (2015)

"This thriller has all the hallmarks of an original Ian Fleming adventure and features welcome …

Review of 'Trigger mortis' on 'Goodreads'

This is the first Bond novel I've read. I was inspired to pick it up after hearing Mr. Horowitz on NPR's Book of the Day podcast. I was intrigued by the notion that it picks up immediately after Goldfinger, one of my favorite movies, and included his relationship with Pussy Galore.

James Bond, warts and all, is infused in every paragraph of this novel. I say warts and all because, let's face it, there are certainly aspects of a Bond movie that make you shake your head. The unfortunately named female characters. The bizarre death rituals of the bad guy. The quips. The "let me tell you every aspect of my evil plot because there's no way you could possibly escape this deadly situation that I'm not going to bother to ensure actually gets the job done" scenario. They're all here in Trigger Mortis, and I'd have to say it …

reviewed Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (Culture, #1)

Iain M. Banks: Consider Phlebas (2005)

The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, …

Review of 'Consider Phlebas' on 'Goodreads'

Much ado about nothing.

I really liked how this started off. A protagonist thrown from one deadly encounter to another, sort of like Indiana Jones. The final act takes a surprising turn into what amounts to a slow dungeon crawl, then the epilogue ties things up in a way that I consider deeply unsatisfying.

reviewed 36 Righteous Men by Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield: 36 Righteous Men (2019, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.)

Review of '36 Righteous Men' on 'Goodreads'

I want to start this review by talking about its redeeming elements, which tells you right off the bat that I didn't like this book very much.

First, do NOT read the ad copy for this book. It gives away quite a lot.

I liked the first 60% of the book. It's a New York City murder mystery set in the backdrop of out-of-control climate change. I enjoyed Pressfield's take on law enforcement in the near future, where a single photo on a phone can lead to a coordinated high-tech pursuit that would involve drones if the weather wasn't so bad.

The book falls apart in the third act. Our protagonists abandon their familiar stomping ground for a setting that's much more wide and wild than an urban landscape. They go on a bit of a tour that seems to take up more space in the novel than it's worth. …