Let's Eat Granma / Joanne Adams

Let's Eat Granma

by Joanne Adams

selfhelp

copyright 2017

read in January 2018

rated 8/10: really quite good

An excellent little book on grammar!

I'm wondering: Would I have rated it as *nine* out of ten -- except that it is a reference book rather than fiction? I think, Yes. I enjoyed reading it but there was not the feeling of absorption that comes with a good novel... It is "really, really good" as a work of *non* fiction.

My son & I occasionally debate points of grammar, so he gave me this book. It includes a section on the use of the apostrophe. With a clear example that demonstrates that, on a very recent debate -- my son was correct... Oh well.

The book is entertaining, humorous -- and informative. I suspect that its intended audience is teenagers at school... and young adults who should have paid more attention at school. But it can be read by anyone, of any age.

The humour is light. This is clearly a book which explains correct grammar -- with just enough humour to make it easy to read. The book title, for example, is from an example of correct use of the comma.

I read the entire book, quite quickly, to find out what was covered. Now I will keep it close -- knowing the key topics -- ready for the next grammatical debate with my son :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." … Robert A. Heinlein

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The Paths of the Dead / Steven Brust

The Paths of the Dead

(Viscount of Adrilankha #1 of 3)

by Steven Brust

fantasy, fansonly, subadult

copyright 2003
read in December 2017

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

26apr24: I'm re-reading...

This book is a link (I believe) from Phoenix Guards to Taltos. The verbose style is a little bit annoying but entertaining.

The action is taken up (mostly) by children of characters from the Guards books. That's okay.

The style is -- childish... Oh, goody, let's go out and have an adventure, that sort of thing.

The book begins with too much mystic claptrap. Doing things because it feels right. Inspiration from the gods, perhaps. With no real logic. Then it degrades to Enid Blyton style "safe" adventuring.

It's a valiant attempt to link two book series. With the knowledge that this one book, Paths, goes nowhere -- I stop reading.

===

This is an enjoyable book -- but it goes nowhere. Or, rather, it is very much "book one of three". Yes, there is a conclusion but no, it is not a book to be read by itself.

If you have books two and three ready to be read then good, this is volume one... Read two and three and you will have read a complete novel. By itself, Paths is simply setting the scene for the complete, three book novel.

Worse yet -- if you have only the one volume ready to be read -- the verbose style of Phoenix Guards is overdone. To the point of tedium.

This book follows Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After. Those two are linked adventures of a small band of friends. Paths includes the same group of friends but in secondary roles. The main action is driven by children of characters from the previous books... Children who are one to two hundred years old... but they are still "children" in Brust's world.

The action (or, rather, the scene-setting) is driven by children. The book itself is written for a younger audience. Early teens, perhaps. So I have used my "subadult" category.

I have also classed Paths as "fansonly". That is, it is a book which is for fans, in this case fans of the Phoenix Guards books. And of the Vlad Taltos books. (I am assuming that the three books will link from Phoenix to Taltos.) For this book, however, "fansonly" is not an insult. The book is enjoyable by itself but its weaknesses mean that it is *not* a good entry to this fantasy world.

Even as a "fan" I find that this book is a bit boring. The dozens of characters -- each doing very little -- are hard to keep track of. And the shift from adult to subadult is a little disappointing.

Still... I'm a fan. I shall be looking for books 2 & 3. I just hope that there is more that actually happens.

Paths of the Dead is an enjoyable book. But it's not one to be read by itself. Its best audience is the reader who has enjoyed both "before" and "after" adventures... it is a link between Phoenix Guards and Vlad Taltos. But not as good as either.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." … Robert A. Heinlein

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

The Race / Nina Allan

The Race

by Nina Allan

science fiction

copyright 2016

not read in December 2017

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

At page 22 I thought, If nothing happens, I'll stop reading.

Nothing happened. I stopped reading.

===

30mar19: I started reading. Thought, this is depressing. Thought ,this is boring. Thought, I've tried reading this before. Gave up.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." … Robert A. Heinlein

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

Good Morning, Midnight / Lily Brooks-Dalton

Good Morning, Midnight

by Lily Brooks-Dalton

science fiction

copyright 2016

not read in December 2017

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

There's this miserable git who seems to have decided to end his life at an Arctic astronomy base. "End his life" as in, the world is ending, everyone else is evacuating, he decides to stay.

Turns out that a young girl has also stayed behind. Eh?!

Who is she? Where did she come from? Why did no-one miss her during the evacuation?

These and other questions don't interest me. The book -- in its first 20 pages -- has nothing that interests me.

I stop reading.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." … Robert A. Heinlein

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

The Elvenbane / Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

The Elvenbane

(Halfblood Chronicles 1 of ?4)

by Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

fantasy, chicklit

copyright 1991

read (again) December 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

I was wondering how many books are in the Elvenbane series, when I found two reviews of this first book. (I prefer to not read reviews before I write my own; all bias should be my own.) The reviews were interesting...

One review rated the book poorly, due to shallow characters and simplistic plot. The other reviewer enjoyed the book for its simple characters and straightforward plot. That is, the reviewers took the same points and interpreted them differently.

My reviews are *my* opinions. A review describes whether or not *I* enjoy a book. I have my own preferences in books. Worse yet, my preferences may change... Sometimes I want to read a light, uncomplicated book, sometimes I want more depth to my reading.

I read -- and re-read -- this book many years ago -- and enjoyed it. I have just read it for the third time -- and still enjoyed it :-) This is not to say that the book is perfect...

It was clear -- in earlier readings -- that this book would lead to sequels. Not to worry, it is a complete book in itself. This time, however, I noticed that many chapters have more to do with potential sequels than with this book. That is, several chapters add to the world view without adding to the plot. Drop those chapters and this book would appear to be complete -- but later books would need more "introductory" chapters.

Not to worry: Elvenbane is still a lot of fun. The main plot is exciting, the "extra" chapters are interesting, there are several love interests for the heroine. There is plenty of magic -- with different races having their own forms of magic. And, of course, there are dragons.

What's not to like?! This is a fantasy adventure that may be light -- but it is very enjoyable. And well worth reading.

==== Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity." … Amelia Earhart

====

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

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Biggles x 2 / Captain W.E. Johns

Biggles in the Orient

by Captain W.E. Johns

... action, subadult

copyright 1945

read in December 2017

... rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Classic Biggles adventure with non-PC stereotypes which make it so simple to follow the plot. British are good, all villains are Asian. One Asian is said to be honest, generous, as I read it he is almost "one of us"; he was murdered before the story begins. There is one British character who is responsible -- without realising it -- for several British deaths; he pays the price by being killed.

There's lots of flying in a variety of planes; very satisfying for fans of flying (eg me). There's heroism and death and injury. A surprising amount of death and injury -- until you remember that this is a war story.

Biggles struggles through the heat of Indian jungle -- yet he still wears his tie. Oh, and I do have a worry with the chocolate bars that -- despite the heat -- do not melt.

The central mystery is well developed. The story is somewhat dated. The characters are two-dimensional. Yet it's still an easy-to-read and enjoyable book.

===

Biggles defies the Swastika

by Captain W.E. Johns

... action, subadult

copyright 1941

read in December 2017

...rated 7/10: well worth reading

Biggles is in Norway when the Nazis invade... which leads to my favourite scene: Biggles wakes up at his usual time -- but the hotel maid does not bring his morning coffee! No need to boil your own kettle, no need to call room service, delivery of morning coffee is just part of the hotel service... I like it :-)

The rest of the story is equally unbelievable, with Biggles flying & driving all over Norway, fooling Nazis and Nazi sympathisers at every turn and delivering vital information to British High Command.

Biggles is a straightforward fighting pilot, he does not like spying but he follows orders. Despite his own reluctance, Biggles does admire the bravery and skill of the "professional" spy.

This is plenty of action and adventure -- and flying -- in a story based around actual events in WW2. Germans are, of course, villains though they are not all evil. Some Germans are simply fighting for their own country. Norwegians who betray Norway get less sympathy.

Okay, I am a fan of Biggles. I like his attitudes, I enjoy his adventures. The start of this story is a bit slow but overall, I find that this book is well worth reading.

==== Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity." … Amelia Earhart

====

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

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Cryptum / Greg Bear

Cryptum

(Halo / Forerunners #1)

by Greg Bear

science fiction, fansonly

copyright 2010

part read December 2017

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

At first I thought, Yes, this is fun, not too bad. Especially for a book based on a computer game.

Then I read further... and nothing happened.

Okay, things happened. Mysterious voices said, Do this. So the narrator did this. Special effects were described... in meaningless detail. The narrator accepted that he was a fool.

The book is set in the Halo universe. As far as I know, Halo is a first-person shooter. So when will the shooting start?!

Not quite half way through the book. There's a feeling that I'm reading the cut-scene for the start of a game. Setting the scene. But essentially pointless. Perhaps it makes more sense for Halo players?

As a novel -- almost half way through book one of three -- I stop.

Not a bad book. Not really "fansonly", which is a very negative category. Just that... nothing interesting is happening.

==== Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity." … Amelia Earhart

====

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

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