Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Wool by Hugh Howey

Hugh Howey is a phenomenon in the self-publishing universe.  He began publishing his fiction as a hobby while working at a full-time job.  His “Wool” series exploded in popularity; Ridley Scott bought the film rights; Howey acquired an agent who … Continue reading

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Book Review: Inside Out by Barry Eisler

I don’t read many thrillers, at least not in recent years, and I wouldn’t have read this one except for a curious cluster of coincidences.  First of all, I am poor.  There’s no getting around it; I barely make enough … Continue reading

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Book Review: On Moving: A Writer’s Meditation on New Houses, Old Haunts, and Finding Home Again by Louise DeSalvo

My son and I just moved again, from Yakima to Seattle, Washington.  We took a walk to the local branch of the Seattle Public Library to check it out and apply for library cards.  Waiting for the librarians to do … Continue reading

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Book Review: Little, Big by John Crowley

You should not approach “Little, Big” with any preconceptions.  It is an unusual work of fantasy.  I have been wanting to read it for years and never got around to it.  Recently I came across it on a list of … Continue reading

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Book Review: Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Lives for the Better by Clive Thompson

I got hold of this book fairly quickly from my trusty public library soon after reading Nicholas Carr’s book “The Shallows”.  I didn’t like the Carr book.  It was negative and reactionary about ubiquitous technology that is here to stay.  … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr

I didn’t like this book.  There was too much in it I didn’t agree with.  I thought I would like it, and I wanted to like it.  It’s on a subject I am very interested in, the use of the … Continue reading

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On Rereading “Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice” by James Branch Cabell

It’s not my fault that I reread “Jurgen” at this time; it is the fault of one of my characters.  I was typing away on the new novel I am working on, and one of my characters made a reference … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer

When I first heard about the premise of this Nebula Award-winning novel, that a scientist had found proof of the existence of the human soul, I was immediately intrigued.  However, the book had gone out of print, and I could … Continue reading

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Book Review: Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum

I have had this book in my radar for years, and when I saw it on the shelf in the West Valley Community Library in Yakima and perused it I decided to give it a try.  It’s a big, heavy … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

The subject of this novel is that which would normally be least likely to appeal to me: a fantasy-romance set in Louis XIV’s court at Versailles.  However, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and well-written novels … Continue reading

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