Reviews

Pyres is like waking up from a dark daydream of killing off heartless politicians to find that the darkness has infected your life. This short novel is an incredibly compelling read that is alternately satisfying and frustrating in just the right way. I feel like it also has enough subtext to let you make larger statements about society in ways that I haven't found in most of my recent reads.

The Big Sleep is a classic of the hard-boiled detective genre, which I really enjoy. I was surprised, though, that it was considered so amazing, because it has some noticeable flaws.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion looks from the outside like it is going to be for marketing professionals, and maybe it is used that way. However, the author focuses on how certain psychological principles work and how to avoid being manipulated by them when they are used by business people. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover how to avoid guilt trips from your relatives. Also, it was originally published in 1984, and while it does a good job of explaining everything and is undoubtedly useful, you'll hear phrases like "Red Chinese" and "Indians" to mean Native Americans. The tone is definitely more for the 1990s than the current dumpster fire that we live in.

I am always shocked when I read westerns, because they are never the sexist, racist novels that I expect. Shane, once again, blew my expectations out of the water (in a good way), even with my dislike of young narrators.

The Blacktongue Thief is a fantasy novel that feels at times like it is as much about the author's cleverness, humor, and ability to sing as it is about the characters. However, overall it is clever, funny, and well written enough that the author's presence doesn't ruin the story.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a fantastic novel that does nearly everything right when it comes to romance (M/M romance, so be aware).

What to Listen for in Music helps explain how to enjoy both the beauty and the intelligence behind classical music by teaching you what you should be listening for. It seems to go from describing what a whole note means to explaining complicated musical forms in a short time, so it will be either too remedial or too advanced in parts. Nonetheless, the book teaches you what it says it will.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry turns the trope of small town romance on its head, with characters who aren't what they appear from the outside and situations that are more complicated than they seem. Frankly, that sounds depressing, but this story is as much about healing and laughter as it is about romance, plus it makes editing seem so very sexy.

The Fangs of Freelance, the fourth book in the Fred the Vampire Accountant series, deals with the repercussions of what happened in previous books. It continues to focus on the value of friendship and kindness, but delves a bit deeper into the feelings of the characters and the changes in their lives. Fred is maturing as a person, which makes the book that much more enjoyable to read.

Wolves, the first book of a series about Loki from Norse mythology and a female vet student from Chicago, sets up a series of personal and cosmic disasters for them. However, the second half of the book, while keeping the fast pace, didn't keep my attention. What went wrong?

Conspirata depicts the events leading up to the fall of the Roman Republic from the point of view of Tiro, Cicero's slave and scribe. The depiction is apparently fairly accurate and definitely very compelling. However, don't look for any of the characters, except perhaps Tiro, to be beacons of virtue, as they spend pretty much the whole book scheming.

Red Land, Black Land explains what made up the lives of the people who lived in ancient Egypt and what egyptologists know and don't know about Egyptian history. It tries to focus on the lives of regular people and not just the rulers, when possible. It does this well and with an accessible and quirky tone that makes the book fun.

The actual "last report" on the miracles at Little No Horse is a letter from Father Damien to the Pope. The book is a mixture of these letters and events from more than 80 years of Father Damien's life, mostly on a Native American reservation in North Dakota. The book isn't a fast read and might lack a single, driving plot, but the characters are vibrant and their lives feel real enough for the reader to care about them.

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two continues Jack's stories about what is happening in his life, which mainly takes place in the gas station. If presented in another way, Jack's dark but hilariously funny story of physical pain, fear, and possible mental breakdown could be an incredibly stressful read, but if you have a dark sense of humor, it is just right.

Komarr continues the story of Miles Vorkosigan, taking us further into his second career. As with previous books, the story focuses on Miles's sharp mind and romantic interests, with humor and call backs to much that has come before. It is yet another fantastic contribution to the series.

Guards! Guards! is the 8th book in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett and continues with elements that stood out in earlier books: humor, intelligence, some social commentary, and more romance than I would have expected. However, I was surprised to see some dark moments in this book. Really well done!

The most overused plot in science fiction romance is a woman who was abducted by aliens is rescued by an alien warlord. She has something that he needs, be it a special power or maybe just the ability to have babies. Thanemonger is all of that (although her special power is a cool one), but the addition of the family dynamic - plus good writing - makes this book worth reading.

The Nutmeg of Consolation is the 14th book of the series and continues much the same from the previous 13 books, which means excellent characters, a very distinct sense of place whether on land or sea, and a plot that is less focused on a single storyline for the book than on telling what happens next in the context of the series.

Personal History by Katharine Graham is not only a comprehensive view of her life, but also a surprisingly readable and quick paced story of what it was like to be a powerful woman in business during a time when women didn't have those roles and an interesting window into the lives of some very important political figures.

The Final Empire is one of those high fantasy novels that looks right away like its high page-count is justified by the massive story it is trying to tell, although there were moments when I wondered if it was worth it.

The House Witch by Delemhach is a rambling, episodic but still completely enjoyable story that is more about themes - like found family and the value of a safe home - than about plot.

Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke is an exciting, quick read and certainly compelling enough to keep you going through to the end, although it isn't without flaws.