Mini Book Review Bonanza!!

Since 2019 began, I’ve had lots of things popping up to create a week where little to no blogging happens. Work trips, my son’s break dancing competitions, performing in a play, and of course, Netflix and laziness.

I think the only thing that I didn’t slack on was reading. Which means I’ve read all kinds of books that I haven’t reviewed in the least. So I hope you enjoy the first of a handful of MINI-REVIEW BONANZA posts!

Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Good Omens was always on my list of books to read, but then when I saw it was about to be a TV show, I pushed it way up on the priority list.

This book overflows with wit and satire. Either one of these co-authors is capable of laugh-out-loud prose, but this book is what happens when you put them together. I can just imagine the back and forth between Gaiman and Pratchett, everything getting funnier with each edit.

The whole time, I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Maybe that’s just because they’re both British satire, but I really felt like it wouldn’t be a stretch to write a crossover book so we can have angels and robots and demons and aliens all in one book that keeps you laughing from the first page to the last.

A Thousand Pieces of You
by Claudia Gray

This came highly recommended by a few people. The premise and blurb made it sound like it was right up my alley, and while it wasn’t a complete miss on me, I didn’t connect with it the way I hoped I would.

We’re talking about hopping between alternate universes and hunting down a killer and fantastical science and among all that, there was just a little too much love story. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with a love story, but sometimes it’s seems too centre stage, especially in a situation where a relationship doesn’t seem like it could happen. 

To be fair, I’ve never found myself running for my life against unknown assailants and time itself. Maybe I would feel like falling in love. I somehow doubt I’ll ever know for sure.

Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan

This one REALLY seemed up my alley, especially since I was finishing up the editing on a novel that had a lot of similarities. I’m not sure if that coloured my impression of the book, or not, but I liked it. Just not as much as I hoped.

The premise and world-building pulled me in, but underneath all of that, this was basically a detective novel, which I’m rarely a fan of. There’s always too much interviewing potential witnesses, victims, suspects, etc, etc. Who’s lying? Who’s telling the truth? Who cares?

The best parts dealt with the science of being able to inhabit another body (and the gun fights, of course!) Had there been a lot more of this and less talking I think I would have enjoyed this one a lot more.

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman

A friend told me this series was Harry Potter for adults. Rest assured, that friend has been beaten to a pulp with a copy of Order of the Phoenix. 

While it had some redeeming points, I found this to be overall disappointing. Every time something great started to take shape, it would be cut off or go another direction completely and I was left wanting.

The characters could have used a little more development as well. Most of them felt two-dimensional and their decisions were to move the plot along instead of what they would actually decide to do.

I still may read on in this series, but it won’t be anytime soon. 

Salt Sugar Fat
by Michael Moss

This was great!

I love junk food, so I was concerned this was going to be 500 pages of harping about how terrible everything I put in my body is for me. (There was a little of that, but it felt more factual/informational and less ‘harpy’.)

Instead, it felt like an education in commercial business. Supply and demand, evolving with the times, market research, and advertising strategies.

It’s fascinating to read about how many times one company or another tried to make the responsible choice and develop a better, healthier option to some of the foods that was causing an obese nation only to have that product fail because WE WOULDN’T BUY IT!

This one is a must-read for any fans of non-fiction.

The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black

I remember the hype machine working on overdrive when this book came out. Unfortunately, I can’t say it lived up to the hype.

It was fine. I was entertained throughout. But it didn’t knock me off my feet. I didn’t even go down to a knee.

This is another one that I feel suffered from flat characters. Their decisions didn’t seem like their own as much as a means to the end of the book. Some interesting twists and turns in the plot itself, which may be enough to continue reading the series, but again, not a high priority.

Fun fact about this post: What the heck is a Bonanza??