Title- The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass
Author- Bill Maher
Series- Follow-up to The New Rules
Genre- Politics, Humor
Pages- 359
Pages to date- 4,483
The Good:
This book is downright hilarious. Maher's love for putting down his opponents had me cracking up at many points in the book.
Maher's writing is poignant and concise; his fans will be able to hear his voice in every sentence, only serving to make the book even more funny.
The Bad:
The only minor issue I could find was that the book was deceptively short. Some of the pages only have one "rule" on them that doesn't even fill half of the allotted space. I didn't mind this one bit, but it could turn off readers looking for a deeper experience.
If you are easily offended by the truth, I wouldn't read this piece. Maher isn't afraid to poke fun at anyone: Christians, Republicans, Americans as a whole, terrorists, celebrities, politicians, etc. He embodies in his writing the saying "It's funny because it's true." Some of it, however funny, can also be disturbing or scary.
The Verdict: This book is hilarious. If you aren't afraid of an insult here or there, read it.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Book #14- The Fire Chronicle
Title- The Fire Chronicle
Author- John Stephens
Series- Book 2 of The Books of Beginning
Genre- Fantasy
Pages- 437
Pages to date- 4,124
The Good:
The Fire Chronicle is fast-paced and extremely entertaining. I couldn't put it down. The new depth in character of the Dire Magnus was phenomenal and will please readers. Michael's storyline was also noteworthy.
The Bad:
While the villain and Michael were newly characterized very well, the returning characters were a little more static. I would have liked more on Dr. Pym, Gabriel, Kate, and Emma. They are good, but not up to the standards of Rafe or Michael.
The Verdict:
The Fire Chronicle is a good, quick read that leaves readers wanting the next installment, but doesn't have enough balance in terms of characterization (I say this now, but it very well could be that this issue is mended in the next and final book of the series).
Author- John Stephens
Series- Book 2 of The Books of Beginning
Genre- Fantasy
Pages- 437
Pages to date- 4,124
The Good:
The Fire Chronicle is fast-paced and extremely entertaining. I couldn't put it down. The new depth in character of the Dire Magnus was phenomenal and will please readers. Michael's storyline was also noteworthy.
The Bad:
While the villain and Michael were newly characterized very well, the returning characters were a little more static. I would have liked more on Dr. Pym, Gabriel, Kate, and Emma. They are good, but not up to the standards of Rafe or Michael.
The Verdict:
The Fire Chronicle is a good, quick read that leaves readers wanting the next installment, but doesn't have enough balance in terms of characterization (I say this now, but it very well could be that this issue is mended in the next and final book of the series).
Book #13- SoulPancake
Title- SoulPancake: Chew on Life's Big Questions
Author- Rainn Wilson
Series- None
Genre- Creativity, Spirituality
Pages- 205
Pages to date- 3,687
The Good:
SoulPancake achieves its goal of making the reader think. The topics discussed are thought-provoking, the art is stimulating, and the questions are not easily answered. Overall, the book is just fun.
The Bad:
The only big problem I had with the book is that there isn't much wiggle room in the spirituality department. It tosses out a few quotes from famous nonreligious people, but many of the questions inherently require a belief in some higher being in order to be answered. This isn't horrible, but it is a bit disheartening.
The Verdict:
SoulPancake is fun and interesting, but not all of its questions are for everybody.
Author- Rainn Wilson
Series- None
Genre- Creativity, Spirituality
Pages- 205
Pages to date- 3,687
The Good:
SoulPancake achieves its goal of making the reader think. The topics discussed are thought-provoking, the art is stimulating, and the questions are not easily answered. Overall, the book is just fun.
The Bad:
The only big problem I had with the book is that there isn't much wiggle room in the spirituality department. It tosses out a few quotes from famous nonreligious people, but many of the questions inherently require a belief in some higher being in order to be answered. This isn't horrible, but it is a bit disheartening.
The Verdict:
SoulPancake is fun and interesting, but not all of its questions are for everybody.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Book #12- The Casual Vacancy
Title- The Casual Vacancy
Author- J.K. Rowling
Series- None
Genre- Realistic Fiction
Pages- 503
Pages to date- 3,482
The Good:
The Casual Vacancy is a very interesting novel. The most compelling aspect of it for me was that it was so broad in scope. Even though the setting is a small town, it covers a wide cast of characters and controversial subjects.
The characters were phenomenally written, especially the younger ones. They were very real and so different from one another. I found myself caring so much for each one. Some, I wanted to succeed, and some I wanted to fail. Rowling threw in many surprises in the end that shattered my predictions.
The Bad:
The book gets off to quite a slow start. With so many characters, it is necessary to take some time to introduce them all. This happened for the first 70-100 pages. The next 100 or so was an introduction to the conflicts. After that, it really picked up, but it took a while to get into.
The Verdict:
The Casual Vacancy is an overall good read, but takes some dedication before satisfying the reader.
Author- J.K. Rowling
Series- None
Genre- Realistic Fiction
Pages- 503
Pages to date- 3,482
The Good:
The Casual Vacancy is a very interesting novel. The most compelling aspect of it for me was that it was so broad in scope. Even though the setting is a small town, it covers a wide cast of characters and controversial subjects.
The characters were phenomenally written, especially the younger ones. They were very real and so different from one another. I found myself caring so much for each one. Some, I wanted to succeed, and some I wanted to fail. Rowling threw in many surprises in the end that shattered my predictions.
The Bad:
The book gets off to quite a slow start. With so many characters, it is necessary to take some time to introduce them all. This happened for the first 70-100 pages. The next 100 or so was an introduction to the conflicts. After that, it really picked up, but it took a while to get into.
The Verdict:
The Casual Vacancy is an overall good read, but takes some dedication before satisfying the reader.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Book #11- Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Promise
Title- Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Parts 1,2, and 3
Author- Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino
Series- Divided into 3 books of 80 pages each
Genre- Fantasy
Pages- 240
Pages to date- 2,979
The Good:
This series feeds the craving for more Avatar. The story is pretty interesting as well.
The Bad:
There just isn't enough. The books are mostly pictures and there is very little dialogue, even for a comic book.
Zuko kind of regresses as a character, and, while it makes for a good story catalyst, it isn't what fans want to see.
Cool aspects of the story are just glossed over, like Toph's metal-bending school.
While there are teasers for the story of Zuko's mother, it is pushed back until the next series (The Search), out March 2013.
The Verdict:
This series is good for a quick refresher on the Avatar world, but it won't satisfy loyal fans as much as it should.
Author- Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino
Series- Divided into 3 books of 80 pages each
Genre- Fantasy
Pages- 240
Pages to date- 2,979
The Good:
This series feeds the craving for more Avatar. The story is pretty interesting as well.
The Bad:
There just isn't enough. The books are mostly pictures and there is very little dialogue, even for a comic book.
Zuko kind of regresses as a character, and, while it makes for a good story catalyst, it isn't what fans want to see.
Cool aspects of the story are just glossed over, like Toph's metal-bending school.
While there are teasers for the story of Zuko's mother, it is pushed back until the next series (The Search), out March 2013.
The Verdict:
This series is good for a quick refresher on the Avatar world, but it won't satisfy loyal fans as much as it should.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Book #10- Stuff Every American Should Know
Title- Stuff Every American Should Know
Author- Denise Kiernan & Joseph D'Agnese
Series- None
Genre- History
Pages- 144
Pages to date- 2,739
The Good:
This is a fun read with many interesting facts about the USA. The topics are compelling.
The Bad:
I knew most of the stuff already and it's not very in-depth (much like this post).
The Verdict:
Interesting, but superficial.
Author- Denise Kiernan & Joseph D'Agnese
Series- None
Genre- History
Pages- 144
Pages to date- 2,739
The Good:
This is a fun read with many interesting facts about the USA. The topics are compelling.
The Bad:
I knew most of the stuff already and it's not very in-depth (much like this post).
The Verdict:
Interesting, but superficial.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Book #9- Thin Kimono
Title- Thin Kimono
Author- Michael Earl Craig
Series- None
Genre- Poetry
Pages- 105
Pages to date- 2,595
The Good:
Craig has a very distinct style of poetry. Each piece is imbued with a sort of "I know a ton but won't tell you anything" tone. It's very interesting. My personal favorites are "In the Road" and "The Sorensen Effect."
The Bad:
Some of Craig's longer poems didn't quite keep my attention as much as I would hope, but further readings dispelled this effect.
The Verdict:
There isn't much I can say about this collection; it's one of those you have to read for yourself. My best summary is that it is an interesting, eclectic set of poems.
Author- Michael Earl Craig
Series- None
Genre- Poetry
Pages- 105
Pages to date- 2,595
The Good:
Craig has a very distinct style of poetry. Each piece is imbued with a sort of "I know a ton but won't tell you anything" tone. It's very interesting. My personal favorites are "In the Road" and "The Sorensen Effect."
The Bad:
Some of Craig's longer poems didn't quite keep my attention as much as I would hope, but further readings dispelled this effect.
The Verdict:
There isn't much I can say about this collection; it's one of those you have to read for yourself. My best summary is that it is an interesting, eclectic set of poems.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)