Reviews and Comments

This book starts with an overview of pre-voyage stuff that jumps around a bit in time - governor Columbus arrested and returned in chains to Spain; Columbus asking both Portugal and Spain to sponsor his first expedition; other expeditions (some launched by the Spanish sovereigns to avoid giving Columbus too much profit), etc. This portion is interesting and brings out the major players, even if it is a bit hard to follow.

The second section dives in to the fourth voyage and covers it in great detail. I missed the earlier what came before or after style here. Notably missing - Portugal, specifically King João II - such a nemesis in the first section of the book.

The book concludes in a rush, giving almost no detail of the final years of Christopher Columbus. A brief history of some of the other players is given. A solid 3½ stars.

Got this book expecting science on consciousness, intelligence, or instinct. Found instead a memoir / travelogue, with occasional anecdotes about the octopus. Yes, I learned a few things, and the audio book was read by the author. The octopus really is quite alien from us, with neurons in their arms (which can go on living after the death of the head), and I was really hoping to read some new insights about this fascinating species. Less anecdotes, more science.

Wonderful world building by the author, though a bit too dense at times. Not a book you can easily put down and pick up again later. The main characters are quite similar to those in the Harry Potter books, and the ending is similar also - bad guy confrontation told all-in-a-rush. This book is part of a series also, and aimed at young adults.

This book has a strong female main character, and neither focuses on her albinism nor the setting of Nigeria. Maybe it's just me, but I found Rowling's world a bit more accessible and the supporting cast a bit more fleshed out.

Started reading aloud with my daughter, but long breaks between chapters made it very hard to follow - many questions. Read on my own in a few days made for quite an improvement. Looking forward to hearing my daughter's opinion when we finish it.

A very good introduction and conclusion, fun intros to each of the poets, and of course Haiku (and Senryu). As the editor points out, the Haiku is uniquely suited to Baseball; especially the pastoral setting and lack of a time limit. My favorite from this volume:

carrying his glove
the boy's dog follows him
to the baseball field

This thriller took a while to really get moving. Starts off with many loose threads, eventually collapsing into one narrative. These threads are confusing, perhaps intentionally obfuscated by the author. Another point of irritation is when the characters have information that the reader doesn't have. Once the narrative of Israel vs Iran (and the organizations pulling those strings) comes out fully, the novel tightens up and runs well. 2½ stars.

The Fleming estate authorized these books, and I think it stays true to James Bond form. Our future agent meets up with a Bond girl (neighbor Wilder Lawless) and a Martini (her horse) and even an Aston Martin. The story started slowly and was somewhat violent for the target audience (young adult). I might read another in the series, but won't go out of my way to find it.

Really enjoyed this tale of a year in the minor leagues. Contains sophomoric hijinx, a problematic family life, insights into baseball as a career, and likely considerably less swearing than actually occurs. Okay, maybe a little too much focus on the off field shenanigans, but I did laugh out loud several times. Will definitely look to other books and columns from Mr Hayhurst.

Sherlock was a decent companion through Europe. Just wish I had traveled through Switzerland so I could have tossed this collection over Reichenbach Falls.

At this point in the collection, the author was tired of the character, and while these stories could have branched out and been interesting, they were on the whole just okay.

I look forward to reading some modern takes on the main characters in the near future.

This is a collection of previously published Sherlock Holmes stories, and thus is more scattered than previous collections. The first story is almost a novella; the last more of a history lesson than the usual Holmes deduction fest. None of the tales were 5 star for me, but all were at least above 2. Average score - 3.5 stars.

Read on a Nook while on the road in Europe, 2015.

Saw the movie first, so the various reveals that crop up throughout the story were not hidden to me. They didn't make the film any better, and the same could be said of the book.

The biggest question in my mind is whether to tag the narrator as unreliable. The entire story is told from her perspective, and bounces around as she remembers various parts to her narrative. Unfortunately it is pretty obvious this is Ishiguro's method for hiding some things until revealed later.

It works as a story, and either the children are all oblivious to their situation or the author didn't want to write about the conflict. Either way, it's a depressing book which was just "okay".

Listened to this on my drive across state. Read by the author (yay) and abridged (boo). A rambling memoir between career and disease and coping with both. I enjoyed parts of this book despite the writing style. Wouldn't seek out the unabridged version. Learned a lot about Parkinson's Disease. Now have a strong desire to rewatch Family Ties. Overall rating - liked it but didn't love it.