Category Archives: Book Log
Book Log – SEVENEVES
SEVENEVES by Neil Stephenson
I’m a big Neil Stephenson fan. I’ve read his entire oeuvre, as far as I know, even The Big U, his first novel, which he is not crazy about. It was big and unwieldy and I liked it just fine.
I liked SEVENEVES. I feel like I have to write it in all caps, being a palindrome and all.
It was a page turner, with plenty of action and science. On the first page, a mysterious “Agent” breaks the moon into seven pieces, and I was hooked on what was going to happen as a result. I was not disappointed.
I don’t want to hint on where it goes to anyone who might read it, so I won’t make any comments on plot. I was glad I didn’t know where this story was going… it added to the ride.
My one complaint is that there was no great standout character in this book, which I’ve come to expect from Stephenson. The Shaftoes and Waterhouses from Cryptonomicon, and adding Eliza to The Baroque Cycle series… all fantastically memorable characters, among a gaggle of other minor ones of note.
In this book, I felt like the main character was the human race in general. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I’m used to from this author.
The other thing I note is that the end felt like a sequel was coming. I guess we’ll see.
Book Log – The Martian
The Martian by Andy Weir
I’ve read several “hard science” novels about exploring/colonizing Mars. A friend of mine, who has not steered me wrong yet, recommended this one, and in fact bought it for my son.
His description, though, while accurate, did not grab me: “It’s about an astronaut who gets left behind on Mars and has to survive on his own.” I pictured heart-wrenching insanity, despair, wistful flashbacks to life on Earth, educational facts about Mars’ environment, etc. Things I ought to be interested in, but never am.
But I couldn’t be more wrong.
I didn’t pick it up for months. I was casting about for something to read while I was going to be waiting for an oil change, and grabbed this, grabbing a backup book in case it was too much of a slog.
I’m here to say I’m sorry for ever doubting you, The Martian. This is a witty, entertaining, and well-written story. I loved the attitude of the main character, and rooted for him the whole way through. Life became annoying interruptions preventing me from reading it all in one sitting.
And yes, even picked up some interesting Mars facts in spite of myself.
Book Log – Mogworld
Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw
I downloaded this from Amazon thinking it was a self-published type of book, but on further research, the book is published by Dark Horse, so it’s legit. The author is a game designer and a game reviewer. So he’s got some writing cred.
The story is comfortably whimsical without being wacky, and feels like a fresh perspective. Our protagonist is an undead minion, pulled from a place of light back into the world to be a grotesque henchman for an evil wizard.
The prose flows well, and the world-building is entertaining. I recommend this one for a somewhat Terry Pratchett-like read.
Book Log – Soul to Soul (Small Universe Book 2)
Soul to Soul (Small Universe Book 2) by Christopher M. Daniels
I’m on a streak of reading self-published stuff, and sometimes being pleasantly surprised.
The first book in the Small Universe series was okay. I saw some potential there in the writing, and some good ideas. I was hoping the second book would build on that through practice of the craft, but I was disappointed.
I’m not a writer, I’ve never written a book, I don’t have the skills developed to meet my own standards of “good” writing. But there’s a certain something that makes the difference between a well-woven tale and a “bunch of stuff that happened” as Homer would say.
I can’t put my finger on why I feel like I knew Arthur Dent or Ford Prefect, but don’t know Gilbert or Jon from these novels. The actions they did were similar, the plots not markedly of different quality, but something is missing.
I suppose if I knew what it was, I’d be writing these myself.
Book Log – Funny Girl: A Novel
Funny Girl: A Novel by Nick Hornby
I’ve never not enjoyed a Nick Hornby novel. The reviews I’d read of this one were all over the place, but with his track record thus far, there’s little possibility that I’m not going to read anything he writes.
And I wasn’t disappointed. Though not as rich as his other works, it was still an entertaining and smooth read. There’s a lot of flavor of the early days of British television, and interesting characters being drawn.
And, of course, funny.
Also, there was a girl.
Book Log – An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0)
An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0) by Scott Meyer
See my log of the second book in the series: https://journal.electric-rocket.com/?p=2333
This is not my favorite of the three novels, but I still found it worthy of the series.
Book Log: Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0)
Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0) by Scott Meyer
Scott Meyer, the creater of the webcomic Basic Instructions, turns out to be a pretty sharp fantasy/sci-fi writer. I read his first book, Off to Be the Wizard, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
The fundamental premise of all three Magic 2.0 novels (and this is a limited spoiler, as it is revealed in the first chapter of the first book) is that there exists a secret file on a major corporate network, which contains the data on everything, and adjusting numbers in the file adjusts reality.
From that premise, Meyer explores the possibilities in an amusing and inventive way, doing a good job of balancing the need for story with the omnipotent potential of such a file.
It’s always nice to find a good, self-published work.
Book Log – Teleport This (Small Universe Book 1)
Teleport This (Small Universe Book 1) by Christopher M. Daniels
A self-published sci-fi comedy in the vein of Hitchhiker’s, but not as polished a writer as Adams.
Book Log : Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures By Kate DiCamillo
Thanks to my daughter Scout, we’re a big fan of Because of Winn-Dixie, and to a lesser extent The Tale of Despereaux, by the same author.
Our nighttime reading trio also really enjoyed this whimsical tale of a squirrel turned superhero. It’s full of strong, eccentric characters and thoughtful pacing. I especially like that it tells a good story without being overly reliant on the gimmick of the central premise.
No doubt it earns its 2014 Newberry medal.