This is it – my 40th book review of the year! When I pledged to do 40 book reviews a year ago, I had no idea what I was setting myself up for. Now, with this final entry, we can all bask in the satisfaction of someone actually finishing what they start. But anyways, onwards… Continue Reading
Title: The Empress of Mars Author: Kage Baker Publisher: Tor Format: Print Rating: 4 out of 5 Life on Mars is hard. Although the British Arean Company promised wealth, growth, and a new life to all Martian settlers, once it found out that it couldn’t terraform (and profit from) the planet quickly enough, it pulled… Continue Reading
Title: Westlake Soul Author: Rio Youers Publisher: ChiZine Publications Format: Print Rating: 5 out of 5 Note: This review contains ruminations about Life, the Universe, and Everything. Before I read a book, I tend to have an idea of what it’s about, because I like spoilers. Every so often, though, I’ll read a book “blind”.… Continue Reading
Title: The High Road Author: Terry Fallis Publisher: McLelland and Stewart Format: Print Rating: 4 out of 5 I read a lot of speculative fiction, as my past reviews clearly show – books about space zombies, ghosts, Russian mythological figures, and more. However, The High Road is speculative fiction of an entirely different sort. It’s… Continue Reading
Title: You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing Author: John Scalzi Publisher: Subterranean Press Format: eBook Rating: 4 out of 5 I read a lot of books about writing in 2012. Take a look for yourselves in the archives. Although the authors I read occupy different niches… Continue Reading
Title: Ironskin Author: Tina Connolly Publisher: Tor Format: Print Rating: 4 out of 5 Note: this review contains spoilers. Jane Eliot is a veteran of The Great War against the fey. The five years since the end of the war have not been kind to her, however, as the lingering scar on her cheek –… Continue Reading
Title: The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos Author: Neil Turok Publisher: House of Anansi Format: eBook Rating: 3 out of 5 I have a hard time understanding the universe. Not in the figurative “why don’t things work the way I want them to” sense, but in the literal “why do things even exist” sense.… Continue Reading
Title: Seraphina Author: Rachel Hartman Publisher: Random House Format: Print Rating: 5 out of 5 One of the chief things I measure in a novel is how it affects me when I read it. Do the book’s events wend their way into my dreams? Am I compelled to keep reading? How concerned am I with… Continue Reading
Title: Every House is Haunted Author: Ian Rogers Publisher: ChiZine Publications Format: Print Rating: 3 out of 5 Full disclosure: I’m friends with the author through Goodreads and Facebook, and am familiar with some of ChiZine’s staff; although I have tried to remain neutral in this review, these circumstances have probably informed my opinion of… Continue Reading
Title: The Shadow Scholar: How I Made a Living Helping College Kids Cheat Author: Dave Tomar Publisher: Bloomsbury Rating: 3 out of 5 Format: eBook Something interesting happened when I publicized my decision to become a freelance writer: more than one person told me that I should consider writing papers for university and college students. I, being the kind… Continue Reading
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