Tag Archives: bloody spiders

Lists: Best Books Read in 2011 – # 1

Best Books Read in 2011

1. Room by Emma Donoghue

Not many authors can write well from a child’s point of view, especially when writing for an adult audience. In Room, Emma Donoghue does precisely that. She conveys a haunting tale with beauty and wonder and terror. I was skeptical when I picked up this book. After putting it down seven months ago, I still think of it regularly. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Original Review

2. The Christ-Haunted Landscape by Susan Ketchin
3. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
4. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett


Lists: Worst Books Read in 2011 – # 7

Worst Books Read in 2011

7. Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery by Jennie Erin Smith

All stories of abused animals. Awful. I couldn’t even finish it, I was so upset.

Original Review

8. The Black Company by Glen Cook
9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale


Review: John Dies at the End

John Dies at the EndJohn Dies at the End by David Wong
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Warning: This Book Contains Multiple Scenes With Disgusting Huge Spiders

*ahem*

I had avoided adding John Dies at the End until a friend roped me into it through a challenge. I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise. Well, maybe not pleasant. That’s not a word that describes, well, anything in this book.

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Review: The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I spent some time debating whether to give The Name of the Wind 3 stars or 4. I finally settled on 4, in large part because of Patrick Rothfuss‘s incredible language and the phenomenal job Nick Podehl did as narrator. That being said, the book had several pacing issues, a female love interest I find impressively boring and off-putting, and a protagonist I hated for the first third of the book. Despite this rocky going, however, when I finished the book my impression was largely positive. I think this is an excellent book to illustrate the concept that sometimes the whole is greater than the parts. I am definitely looking forward to listening to The Wise Man’s Fear, but will most likely give my ears a week or so sans headphones before doing so.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire proved to be an excellent choice for a non-horror Halloween read. In it, J.K. Rowling sharply continues her addition of darkness to the series. We see Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the gang returning to Hogwart’s for yet another year. As usual, there are also dark deeds going on, but the focus this year is on the Triwizard Tournament. Despite rules requiring contestants to be 17, Harry naturally ends up in the mix. Adventures ensue. Naturally, there is a giant spider. Why is there always a giant bloody spider? *grumbles* In spite of that, the book is excellent. Also, there is a merciful lack of Quidditch game play by plays.

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Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Locke Lamora is what Oliver Twist could have been, had he not been so impossibly perfectly naive to the point of stupidity and dull innocent. Actually, I suppose one would have to say Locke has more in common with The Artful Dodger. An orphan who becomes a skilled thief, but with far more intelligence and skill. And burning down of large inns. In The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch creates a cast of characters who you’ll love and who will make you laugh. An equisite work of fantasy that overlaps heavily with the action genre, I highly recommend this work to anyone who likes their characters to be badass and have questionable motives.

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