Over the Dither and Through the Words

Pandora’s Star by Peter F. Hamilton My review rating: 3 of 5 starsInteresting ideas, well written, good structure – but kind of stereotypical characters. When a star suddenly disappears, a FTL (through wormhole travel) ship is built and sent there to investigate. I usually love big, thick books, so it was exciting to me to see an epic size science ... Read More »

Lamentation by Ken Scholes My review rating: 4 of 5 starsAs I’ve listened to rather than read this book, please forgive any spelling errors in the names and such. Lamentation starts out with the destruction of a city with its vast central library, survived only by a boy and a mechoservitor. The rest of the book basically deals with the ... Read More »

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon My review rating: 5 of 5 starsLou Arrendale is an autistic who, because of new technologies with learning and stimulus, can live on his own, have a job, and even enjoys a fencing hobby. Still, he has many impairments when it comes to social interaction as well as a diagnosis that limits his ... Read More »

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke My review rating: 4 of 5 starsI listened to this book, rather than read it. What this means is that I couldn’t read the book fast or slower, just devote more time to listening to it. The reader, Simon Prebble, has a British accent that fits the tone of the book beautifully. ... Read More »

The Immortals by Tracy Hickman My review rating: 3 of 5 starsI started reading this book because I heard the author give a speech at a writer’s conference. I LOVED what Tracy Hickman had to say, I liked his vibe, so I figured I would really enjoy his books. I chose The Immortals because this is his favorite book. It ... Read More »

Sometimes, being a writer can make the enjoyment of reading a bit harder. I know what the man behind the curtains is doing, or trying to do anyway. Rather than having a sense of really liking something, or a vague sense of not liking it, I know why now. But now that I’ve started reviewing books, so that other people ... Read More »

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George My review rating: 4 of 5 starsFun to read retelling of the 12 princesses, a favorite that I read to my girls when they were younger. Always wondered how they came to be dancing, and have 12 so close in age, so I liked this. Loved the gardens and herbs, knitting, ... Read More »

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett My review rating: 3 of 5 starsI like long books, usually. It means we get to spend more time with characters we’ve come to care about, if the author has done their job properly. Even though I liked most of the characters in this book, I almost put this 900+ page book ... Read More »

My fiction reading life recently has been conducted nostalgically under the auspices of guilt. Many of my moments were stolen from time I should have been dedicating to the book I was writing. And yet, I think they were part of what kept me sane. I’m far less burnt out than I expected to be, writing wise at least. I ... Read More »

I’ve been paying a bit of attention to the e-reader market. There are so many reasons why this is an awesome idea. Saving trees just for one. Saving space is another. There is no shipping involved, simply downloads, so e-readers will have a smaller impact on the environment. And last, it is good for publishing. Though I’m not a big ... Read More »