Tag Archives: up to no good
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
First of all, I have never enjoyed an audio book as much as this one. At least half a star is for that alone. The story was quite the exciting romp through the world of the Gentleman Bastards. I don’t know how to say much without spoiling the book for people, but suffice it to say that if you enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora you will most likely enjoy Red Seas Under Red Skies. Jean & Locke are definitely up to no good and it doesn’t always work out for them. Still, to paraphrase one of Jean’s more memorable lines, they’re the biggest, baddest motherfuckers in the room.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4.5 stars, adventure, badassery, book, book review, books, boozy, fantasy, gentleman bastards, have some more wine, jean tannen, locke lamora, questionable motives, review, scott lynch, star-crossed lovers, sweet sweet luuurve, swordplay, too stubborn for their own good, up to no good, you're a kitty | posted in Words
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
*jaw-cracking yawn*
I was seriously disappointed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Nothing happened. Well, until the very end, but even then, it wasn’t enough to save my overall impression of the book from being primarily that it was boring. They get a new professor, Dumbledore is all cagey with Harry, Snape is an asshole, Harry is an idiot, blah, blah, blah. Yes, I know there actually was a lot that took place in the book, but it still felt largely like it wasn’t there for anything other than setting up the last book.
Did I mention that it was boring?
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Leave a comment | tags: 2.5 stars, albus dumbledore, disappointing, ginny weasley, half-blood prince, Harry Potter, harry potter and the half-blood prince, hermione granger, jk rowling, precocious kiddos, ron weasley, up to no good, witches & wizards | posted in Words
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Good lord, I’ve not reviewed a single book I’ve read this year & it’s already February. *deep breath* Here goes…
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, children, dolores umbridge, fantasy, ginny weasley, Harry Potter, harry potter and the order of the phoenix, hermione granger, hogwarts, jk rowling, magical creatures, order of the phoenix, precocious kiddos, ron weasley, sirius black, up to no good, witches & wizards | posted in Words
5 comments | tags: are you high, ben lerner, book review, books, contemporary fiction, fiction, godawful, leaving the atocha station, losers unite!, random discovery, review, spain, spoiled brats, up to no good, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
9 comments | tags: 1.5 stars, abandoned, bloody spiders, book review, books, crime, criminals, godawful, heard about on public radio, jennie erin smith, non-fiction, reptiles, review, smuggling, stolen world, turtles, up to no good | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Worst Books Read in 2011
8. The Black Company by Glen Cook
As I suspected at the time, The Black Company proved utterly forgettable. I also hated the naming convention and it felt like I was reading an idea for a book rather than the book itself.
Also, the big, bad wizard people had flying carpets. Seriously. Shame on you, Glen Cook. Shame on you.
Original Review
9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
8 comments | tags: 1.5 stars, black company, book review, books, boozy, disappointing, fantasy, felt dirty, fiction, glen cook, godawful, questionable motives, review, the fuck is this the fuck was that, up to no good, witches & wizards, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Well, I have now read American Psycho. I now feel completely justified in my previous suspicion that Bret Easton Ellis is not the author for me. Oh, when it isn’t taking itself seriously, the book is very well-written. Even the originally incredibly irritating repetitive detailing of brand names and prices and food became a part of the rhythm of the book in a way I was not expecting. Patrick Bateman is certainly a psychopath, whether his crimes are only in his head or real. With all of these things though, I would still love to give this one star. The reason it gets three is because of the way a consistent crawling horror was maintained. There was no respite, even in the seemingly innocuous sections. This takes talent. I still found it anything but enjoyable, and towards the end became annoyed when Ellis tried to make it somehow meaningful in a greater sense. Oh, and it’s certainly gory in every sense of the word, in case there was someone who missed that. I need a stiff drink now.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, american psycho, beautiful people, book review, books, boozy, brett eason ellis, felt dirty, fiction, fooooood, gotham, horror, not for weak stomachs, review, skeptical, the fuck is this the fuck was that, up to no good | posted in Words
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I began reading The Maltese Falcon with every expectation that I would enjoy it. I have heard so many comparisons of Dashiell Hammett to Raymond Chandler that anything else seemed impossible. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Try as hard as I can, I cannot see where the brilliance supposedly lies. All of the ingredients are there: beautiful, lying and tragic woman; hard-boiled detective; copious amounts of booze and coffee; evil men slapping the beautiful women in the face. (Seriously, what is up with all the slapping in noir?) Somehow, despite everything, it came off less compelling than a third-rate Alistair MacLean. What’s up with that?
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Leave a comment | tags: 2.5 stars, book review, books, bourbon coffee & smokes, crime, criminals, disappointing, noir, questionable motives, review, the fuck is this the fuck was that, up to no good | posted in Words
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I suspect that, had I read The White Queen first, I would have understood and enjoyed Richard III far more. I do not find Philippa Gregory to be a particularly compelling author, but the subject matter fascinates me. I cannot say where this fascination with the Tudors and now their Yorkist and Lancastrian ancestors first began, but it seems to be quite persistent. I will almost certainly read more of these books. They are a pleasant diversion from anything serious. Well, pleasant other than all of the dying. And children being used as pawns. And children dying. What happened to the princes in the Tower anyway?
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, aristocracy, book review, books, Britain, conspiracies, everybody dies, fiction, greedy relatives, historical fiction, House of York, london town, review, romance, royalty, sweet sweet luuurve, up to no good, war | posted in Words
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Locke Lamora is what Oliver Twist could have been, had he not been so impossibly perfectly naive to the point of stupidity and dull innocent. Actually, I suppose one would have to say Locke has more in common with The Artful Dodger. An orphan who becomes a skilled thief, but with far more intelligence and skill. And burning down of large inns. In The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch creates a cast of characters who you’ll love and who will make you laugh. An equisite work of fantasy that overlaps heavily with the action genre, I highly recommend this work to anyone who likes their characters to be badass and have questionable motives.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, action or adventure, badassery, bloody spiders, book review, books, everybody dies, fantasy, fiction, questionable motives, review, up to no good, xposted to OSgA reviews | posted in Words