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General Discussion => Reviews => Topic started by: TheNorm on May 11, 2015, 09:57:43 PM

Title: The Book Review Thread
Post by: TheNorm on May 11, 2015, 09:57:43 PM
Sure, why the hell not? I'm pretty sure we had a thread similar to this before it got lost some time back in the server switch. Anyway, just posting a review I had on goodreads for this book I finished last night. Great book and a few tearjerker moments there.

Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott

When Stuart Scott passed away in January of 2015, I was shocked-I knew he'd been battling cancer for years but I always just assumed he'd come back like he had before.

But cancer's a dick.

I really enjoyed this memoir, highlighting his life from his childhood to his years of playing sports, to his college years and him finding his passion-the news. You learn quite a bit about how he started at ESPN and just how much they were behind him there. And of course, you learn all about his battle with cancer.
Probably one of the things I love most about this book is that you can hear Stu's voice in your head, like he's there to tell you all these things. He's a real family man and it feels like his entire fight was for his two daughters that he loved very much. I'd recommend this book to anyone. The back cover also has his most remembered quote from the 2014 ESPYs, when he received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. You'll always be missed, Mr. Scott-I didn't know you personally but through this book I feel like I got a good look at the person you were. Thank you for sharing with us.

Quote"When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live."

5 out of 5
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Sakura on May 12, 2015, 12:53:39 AM
That's a pretty nice quote, I'm afraid I'm at a bit of a loss when anyone sports related comes up.  Pratchett died earlier this year too; seems like the good writers are on their way out.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: rollntider on May 12, 2015, 09:16:07 PM
Yeah, I will have to pick that one up. Cancer sucks big time.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Crewe on May 17, 2015, 01:20:56 AM
Fitting he received the Jimmy V award
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: BojackHorsefella on June 01, 2017, 07:26:39 PM
I'm sad to see this thread died two years ago apparently. Lets see if we can revive it.

So, lets see if we can revive it. I'll start with just one for now.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Read this last year. I think it's being turned into a movie too, which makes sense. This is a really intelligent book, but also a breeze to read. The basic premise is this: A man who used to work in as a scientist who now teaches, his artist wife and their son live out a perfectly satisfying life, but his former colleague is winning an award for a scientific breakthrough. On a stroll at night wondering what his life could have been, the man is kidnapped and wakes up in a place he doesn't recognize, but where everyone thinks he's a single man who's been forging scientific breakthroughs, including a big one that allows for travel to parallel realities.

I don't want to spoil too much, but a book that could simply be a journey through endless possibilities delivers that and so much more, with a plot development towards the end that you won't see coming that makes perfect sense.

Highly recommend.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Sakura on June 01, 2017, 10:58:46 PM
Here, you might want this.

Edit: Oh, I forgot what the text said.  Ignore the text below "thread necromancy."
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Sakura on June 01, 2017, 11:22:47 PM
Because I'm some kind of crazy person, I made this version.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: BojackHorsefella on April 04, 2018, 12:04:36 PM
So, thanks to my time on Twitter and the copious amounts of authors, agents, editors and publishers I follow, I've been really getting into a lot of YA LBGTQ fiction. I read Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (which was adapted into Love, Simon) and Adam Silvera's They Both Die At the End which was freaking incredible. Just finished his debut novel, More Happy Than Not, which also floored me (TBDATE was better, but they're both incredible books).

Since I just finished MHTN, I suppose I'll give a short review of that:

Quick plot recap - it concerns 16 year old Aaron Soto. Aaron's a younger brother who lives in a one-bedroom apartment with his brother and mom after their father has committed suicide. He has a girlfriend, Genevieve, who he has a strong relationship with. Eventually he meets a boy named Thomas, which starts making him realize things about himself. Meanwhile, overshadowing all of this, is the Leteo Institute, and their new medical procedure that can make you forget things you don't wish to remember.

Now, reading that, it probably seems very obvious where the book is heading, but I was thrown for a loop by the twists it had and especially the ending. Silvera does a great job of introducing "ordinary" stories with sci-fi elements, almost like Black Mirror (They Both Die At the End does the same trick with amazing results). This is all about the characters and he writes characters you will empathize with, feel sorry for, and sometimes, yeah, think they're being assholes because sometimes they are. They're very real.

I also believe, this being his debut novel, there's likely a lot of traits and/or activities, especially when Aaron's hanging out with his group of friends, that may be anecdotal of the author's life, although I have nothing to back that up with. The only reason I mention it is because, to even have that inkling, just again goes to show why this is a character driven book.

So, yeah, if you have any interest in a genre or landscape that you may not normally read, I actually do recommend YA LGBTQ novels (and, honestly, YA is putting out some strong stuff all over. I read Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give," also currently being filmed for a movie, which was also incredible. No wonder kids these days were ready to lead a political movement).


Also, I really wanted to try and revive the book review thread.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Crewe on April 04, 2018, 12:15:36 PM
Quote from: Bucfever on April 04, 2018, 12:04:36 PM

Also, I really wanted to try and revive the book review thread.

lol worth it.
Sounds intriguing but I am so far behind on my reading, my queue is deeper than my movie/tv list.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: thaima1shu on April 04, 2018, 12:45:12 PM
Quote from: Bucfever on June 01, 2017, 07:26:39 PM
I'm sad to see this thread died two years ago apparently. Lets see if we can revive it.

So, lets see if we can revive it. I'll start with just one for now.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Read this last year. I think it's being turned into a movie too, which makes sense. This is a really intelligent book, but also a breeze to read. The basic premise is this: A man who used to work in as a scientist who now teaches, his artist wife and their son live out a perfectly satisfying life, but his former colleague is winning an award for a scientific breakthrough. On a stroll at night wondering what his life could have been, the man is kidnapped and wakes up in a place he doesn't recognize, but where everyone thinks he's a single man who's been forging scientific breakthroughs, including a big one that allows for travel to parallel realities.

I don't want to spoil too much, but a book that could simply be a journey through endless possibilities delivers that and so much more, with a plot development towards the end that you won't see coming that makes perfect sense.

Highly recommend.

I know this is a year old but having just seen this thread...man Dark Matter was AMAZING. Loved this book so much.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: TheNorm on April 04, 2018, 12:52:24 PM
Nice.
Trying to finish Hamilton by Ron Chernow before I get to see the musical in Chicago at the end of the month...plus I love reading historical stuff. 560 pages through with a little less than 300 to go.
Also reading What Unites Us by Dan Rather, a very good read on current affairs and patriotism in this country.

On a bit of a history/non-fiction kick lately, so once I can wrap up Hamilton I've got Russian Five by Keith Gave on deck. It's about how the Red Wings acquired the five most famous Russian players on their team in the early to mid-90s. Some of the excerpts in the local fishwrap here have been intriguing.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: BojackHorsefella on April 04, 2018, 12:52:55 PM
It's so old I forgot I'd already tried to revive this thread once, haha. Yeah though, Dark Matter is insanely good. I liked the rest of his work too, but none if it was even close to Dark Matter. I don't know if he found a better editor or something or the idea just made the creativity pour out, but it was just incredible.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: BojackHorsefella on April 04, 2018, 12:55:28 PM
Quote from: TheNorm on April 04, 2018, 12:52:24 PM
Nice.
Trying to finish Hamilton by Ron Chernow before I get to see the musical in Chicago at the end of the month...plus I love reading historical stuff. 560 pages through with a little less than 300 to go.
Also reading What Unites Us by Dan Rather, a very good read on current affairs and patriotism in this country.

On a bit of a history/non-fiction kick lately, so once I can wrap up Hamilton I've got Russian Five by Keith Gave on deck. It's about how the Red Wings acquired the five most famous Russian players on their team in the early to mid-90s. Some of the excerpts in the local fishwrap here have been intriguing.


Those all sound awesome. I love non-fiction too even though I don't read it as much. Economics is my kick for real-world stuff moreso than politics. Predictably Irrational, Free Market Madness and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism are all great.

Otherwise, sports are always good (Moneyball, of course. There was a followup later, I can't remember the name, but it was about the Tampa Rays after they lost the World Series. I remember reading it on the aircraft carrier). I need Keith Law's newest book.

Video game ones are really good too. Console Wars was freaking perfect. I will never say a bad thing about that book. Jason Schreier, from Kotaku, also has one out called Bleeding Pixels that's all about game development. It's highly insightful.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: TheNorm on April 04, 2018, 01:29:06 PM
Hmm, I'm gonna have to look into that Console Wars book.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: thaima1shu on April 04, 2018, 01:49:30 PM
Quote from: Bucfever on April 04, 2018, 12:52:55 PM
It's so old I forgot I'd already tried to revive this thread once, haha. Yeah though, Dark Matter is insanely good. I liked the rest of his work too, but none if it was even close to Dark Matter. I don't know if he found a better editor or something or the idea just made the creativity pour out, but it was just incredible.

I really enjoyed the Wayward Pines books, but none of his other ones looked quite as interesting to me so I never picked it up.

While we're at it, the last book I read was The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. If you're familiar at all with Greek mythology and/or The Iliad, then there's likely nothing groundbreaking here. But still, it was engaging and presented differently enough to be a very fun and quick read. It's told from the perspective of Patroclus and is actually a fascinating look into the relationship between him and Achilles.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: BojackHorsefella on April 04, 2018, 01:51:18 PM
Yeah, I didn't read Wayward Pines but I read "Run," "Snowbound" and...."Abandon."
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: TheNorm on July 11, 2019, 11:45:11 AM
Took a long time and wasn't able to meet my goal of finishing before seeing the musical (hell, the first AND second time), but finally finished Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Fascinating and loved it.

Just started reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig, and so far it's pretty damn good. Bit difficult to put down. Almost finished with Michelle Obama's autobiography and enjoying it.
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Crewe on December 29, 2020, 04:01:35 PM
Just finished Lost Stars, part of the Journey to Star Wars series.

It spans the lives of two kids growing up on a desolate outer rim planet and are fascinated by space travel.
They grow up wanting to join the Empire and are caught up in the wars spanning the OT.
It's a really enjoyable and fun read and gives you insight from characters not wholly involved in the war.
Expanding the universe while focusing on the era of the OT is really entertaining to me and watching characters like this develop gives you another look at how people's ideologies form
Title: Re: The Book Review Thread
Post by: Crewe on February 03, 2021, 02:17:50 AM
Building off of the previous post...

Watching Mando S2 really re ignited my Star Wars spirit, so I conquered Clone Wars, even though Im not a big animated fan.
It was surprising well done and filled in a ton of background, but that's for another thread.

ive been on a Star Wars book reading tear since Christmas.
Lost Stars reviewed above, then, it was

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller.
This takes place right after ROTS and follows Kenobi getting settled on Tatooine after handing over Luke to his aunt and uncle.
I really did enjoy this, it built on a lot of character developed in the Clone Wars for Obi Wan and examined his approach to his new life and tested his dedication to his duty.


Master & Apprentice
by Claudia Gray
She wrote Lost Stars too. I enjoy her style with the Star Wars canon. We join up with a barely teenage Obi Wan and his master Qui Gon.
We learn quite a bit more about the master here which really helps TPM a bit more. What else we learn is his way with the force and the council which directs his teachings of his young padawan. Kenobi, as we know, is a strict adherent to rules while Qui Gon is more flexible and maintains an interest in ancient philosophies in which the council readily ignores.


Path of Destruction
by Drew Karpyshyn
Set 1000 bby. We encounter young Dessel, enslaved in the mines his entire young life until he has a chance at something better.
Once he discovers the sith, he realizes the powers he's always had but never knew the why or how. Conquering his new abilities in the Sith Order, newly minted Darth Bane seeks to learn all he can about the dark side. he becomes extremely powerful and sees the weakness in his order and decides it needs to be re tooled from the ground up, and there shall only be one remaining.
This one was fun, but probably the least interesting one on the list for me.

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
Her adventure takes place one year after ROTS. Still hiding from the fallout of Order 66, Ahsoka tries to find her way in the now Jedi-less galaxy.
Still possessing the nature and nurture characteristics of her fallen order, our young padawan finds herself continually running, knowing the Empire are actively searching to destroy any remaining Jedi.
Cognizant of this, she has to resist displaying her abilities, even in private.
Constantly seeing the poor commoners crushed under the boot of the Empire, she decides to try and help one outer rim community stay alive.
I really enjoyed this one. This is the first character of such a young age to escape Order 66 and throughout the book, it is still fresh in her mind and all of those events have shaped who she is now in the vastly different world.


Revenge of the Sith
by Matthew Stover.
The movie novelization.
While I liked ROTS the film, it was the best of the 3, but as usual, the book gives you so much more insight, and I always felt Lucas didnt dwell on necessary emotive parts of III quite enough.
Well, the book will and it makes ROTS a much better watch.
Matter of fact, after reading the book, I fired up the flick.
With the book fresh in mind, the movie played cleaner, more crisp, and in many parts, lifted the dialog right from the movie.
I did feel the author was more descriptive with his surroundings from time to time, focusing too much on unnecessary facets, but all in all, a good read.

And now, Im on to Dark Disciple...

And just as a side note, after finishing The Clone Wars (and the Clone Wars movie) I did go back and watch AOTC again.
That movie is  still god awful