One of the reasons I read non-fiction and classics is that they tend to challenge me more than the books I enjoy reading the most. I’ll pick up science-fiction or fantasy because I want to escape, relax, and take a break. But too much, and I get bored. I did not have that problem when […]
Review | The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
2012-12-21 · by ·
What happens when man finally finds sentient life on another planet, but that civilization cyclically destroys itself under overpopulation pressures cyclically? When man finds the Moties, not only are the Moties more intelligent and technologically adept than us, but they are faster and the breed at rabbit-like speeds. Unfortunately, the breeding is necessary to stay […]
Review | Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
2012-12-20 · by ·
And now for something completely different: Monster Hunter International. Though it could probably be classified as horror (ater all, it’s about werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and other monsters) pick up Monster Hunter International, and you’re going to to find something akin to fantasy (or maybe science fiction?), if it was written by a Second Amendment and gun […]
After Sandy Hook, what can we learn about good and evil from The Hobbit?
2012-12-19 · by ·
With the deaths of so many in Newtown, Connecticut, it can be easy to see the power of evil in the world. Indeed, it can be hard to see anything but evil in the deaths of so many innocent people. Youth is a time of hope and promise, and schools are intended to be a […]
Review | With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain by Michael Korda
2012-12-16 · by ·
Ranked among the greatest battles in British history, along with Waterloo, defeating the Spanish Armada, and Trafalgar, the Battle of Britain stands as a turning point during World War II when the Nazi juggernaut finally faced a foe that would not fall. Though few recognized it immediately, it was the turning of the tide in […]
Review | Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
2012-12-11 · by ·
Warbreaker is Brandon Sanderson‘s fifth novel. Warbreaker has all of the themes that have been played throughout author Brandon Sanderson’s other fantasy novels: epic fantasy, unconventional magic systems defined in almost scientific terms, an empire or nation on the edge of collapse, war and/or planetary destruction, and heroes(usually female) that are thrust into saving a […]
Review | The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
2012-11-17 · by ·
It’s hard to explain adequately how I feel about “The Hobbit.” Simply put, it’s one of my favorite books, I’ve read it more times than any other novel (though I’m not sure what that tells you about me). I remember devouring the book, over and over, reading it a good five or six times before […]
Review | The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
2012-11-06 · by ·
When a book has stood the test of time, has been deemed a “classic,” reviewing becomes something of a futile effort. Like an art critic reviewing the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel with anything short of awe and respect, reviewing a classic novel feels a little arrogant. How does one critique what is universally […]
Review | Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
2012-10-22 · by ·
Every once in a while I read a book because I’m supposed to, whether because it won the Pulitzer or Nobel or Booker, or some other prestigious prize, or it’s just old enough to have been granted “classic” status. Usually, the book turns out to be just as good, or at least just as notable, […]
Review | The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
2012-10-21 · by ·
I wish I had read this in the early years after 9/11. While the characters in Joseph Conrad’s “The Secret Agent” are not superficially the same as the characters that would figure into the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the subsequent events, the themes are eerily similar. As a piece of literature, though, the book […]
