All the Books.

"Not the heart-pounding, adrenaline rush I remember from teenagehood but still entertaining and groundbreaking with the introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade."  3 Stars Pros:  Talon Karrde and especially Mara Jade are two great additions to the Star Wars Pantheon, as well, of course as the cultured and sophisticated evil mastermind, Grand Admiral Thrawn.   Cons:  A lot of space travel/vector lingo that I couldn't follow.  Full Review:  It's been five years since the Battle of Endor and the death of the Emperor.  The New Republic, formed by the Rebel Alliance, is still suffering growing pains as they try to establish peace and order in the galaxy. It's no easy task, especially with the emergence of a mysterious Grand Admiral leading the Imperial fleet and bringing order back to the ranks.  It's all our heroic group can do to stay out of enemy hands. New friends and foes are introduced and no one's quite sure whom to trust. Zahn ma...

"Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom,, once a star basketball player in high school, gets to briefly relive his glory days when he joins a game after work. It's the realization that he's no longer the best, that nobody even knows who he is, that drives Rabbit to run. Leave his job, his wife, his child, leave it all behind and try to start something new. Rabbit is a hateful MC but Updikes beautiful prose saves the book."  3 Stars Pros:  Updike does have an amazing way with words and character. Though his dialogue left something to be desired, it could also be a generational thing. And though Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is one of the most abhorrently selfish MCs I've ever come across, Updike also has me intrigued. That's the real trick and he's succeeded.  Cons:  Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is an absolute moron. His selfishness is literally, life threatening and his general lack of empathy is just...shocking. There have been protagonists I've n...

"An interesting look into some of the characters darker pasts and some serious stuff has gone down that will change the landscape of everything, forever." 4 Stars Pros:  I liked getting to know a bit more about Alex, Amos, Naomi and Holden. Also Fred Johnson's practicality against Holden's unending self righteousness is a good contrast, he's good at putting Holden in his place.  Cons:  Again, some parts were a bit technical, I get confused with ladar, radar and telemetry but overall it didn't take way from the book, I at least had a vague idea of what was going on the entire time.  Full Review:  The Ring is open, offering any and all who wish to explore, entirely new planets to make their own. Mars, Earth and the Belt are at odds about the new planets that the Ring has to offer them. Mars and Earth, who are used to gravity, know that they'll have no issues settling on a new planet. The Belters though, who have only grown up in minimal gravity feel that it...

"A darkly hilarious, honest breakdown of all things writing. Lamott touches upon, what it's like to write as a career and how you may feel during your best and worst days." 5 Stars.  Pros:  Lamott's humor is dark and cynical but so relatable/Her advice is logical, realistic and genuine, which I appreciate.  Cons:  It can be a little disheartening to know how complicated writing can be but as long as you do it for yourself and it's what you love, then it's all worth it in the end.  Full Review:  Lamott covers everything from horrific first drafts, viewing your world through a once inch picture frame, getting beta readers, starting writing groups and the dream of most writers (I think) of publication. But she does it all in a no-nonsense, no holds barred, realistic, blunt way.  She drives home the point that if you're a writer hoping to get published for fame and fortune, then you will most likely be sorely disappointed. But if you're a writer, who just ...

"A tender, honest study of aging, family and what people will do to insure the ones they care about are safe and secure." 4 Stars.  Pros:  All the characters are different, relatable and the relationships they form with one another are heartwarming and true.  Cons:  The ending wasn't exactly what I was expecting but at the same time, it worked, just in a more melancholy way than I had hoped.  Full Review:  Edith is a widow, her husband Declan having died of a sudden heart attack decades earlier. She's estranged from her children bus does her best to take care of the tenants in her building, that she and Declan bought together when they were first married. It's a motley crew, to be sure but they're all kind and genuine in their own way.  There's Edward, a washed up comedian, Paulie, a thirty something year old with a developmental disability but whose heart is innocent and pure, Thomas, an artist who suffered a stroke and Adeleine, a reclusive, Agorapho...

"Dark and disturbing, in true Dilouie fashion, he deals with death, pain, guilt and survival in a gritty and horrifying way. He has a great gift for blending the paranormal with the normal, so much so that everything seems plausible when you're immersed in the story. This one will stick with me for awhile. " 3 Stars Pros:  It was definitely an interesting idea and Dilouie did a great job at making all the MCs frail and broken by what happened to them and completely human as to how some deal with the trauma and others don't. Everyone has a different coping mechanism.  Cons:  At the same time that the ending didn't really give anything away, it also didn't really answer. or solve anything, though, in a way did it did. It's all a matter of perspective. I think Dilouie did the best he could with what he was working with. Which when you're dealing with a religious cult and mass suicide, the answers at the end of that riddle might not be ones you actually wa...

"Fit to bursting with Geeky references but also full of genuine, deep, emotions, this was a great coming of age story told in a fun and honest way."  4 Stars Pros:  Darius is a kind, likable, relatable character and I got most of his Geeky references.  Cons:  Though I loved all the Geeky references, they were a a tad overused at times.  Full Review:  Darius Kellner is a fractional Persian living in Portland, Oregon and just trying to fit in. He's awkward, uncertain and feels like he's always letting everyone down. He was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder when he was 12 and has been attempting to figure out his life since starting to take medication to help.  His father, Stephen Kellner, also struggles with depression and always seems to be disappointed and frustrated with Darius. He wants him to try harder, to not make himself a target, to stand up for himself. And even when Darius does as his Father suggests, it never works. They just don't und...