M.A. Kropp: Writer, Blogger, GeekGirl. My Life. My Words. My Way.
My rating: 3 of 5 starsThis story is far too complex to condense into a short synopsis. The three main characters are all, in one way or another, embroiled in war. Dalinar, prince and uncle to the late king, and Kaladin, former soldier and skilled surgeon, now branded a slave, are fighting a war that … Continue reading Friday Review: The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archives #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Well, let's see. The short short story anthology, "Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories" drops tomorrow. So, it will be available at just about all the ebook retailers out there. I will update links as I see them go live (or as quickly as I get to it, anyway.) It is already live, and … Continue reading What’s Goin’ On?
My rating: 3 of 5 starsWarning: There may be some minor spoilers in this review.Darrow is a Red, the lowest caste in a color-coded Martian system. He is a miner, a laborer who has been told his entire life that he and his fellow Reds toil to make the surface of Mars a livable place … Continue reading Friday Review: Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 starsAt 52 years of age, Noah Adams, NPR host and news reporter, decided to buy a piano and learn to play. This lovely little book chronicles his first year as a piano student, with all the ups and downs, triumphant moments and frustrating setbacks. It's also a love story to … Continue reading Friday Review: Piano Lessons: Music, Love, and True Adventures by Noah Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 starsI think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had liked Salatin's attitude more. Don't get me wrong- he has some really good points in this book. It is important to understand what we eat, how it is grown/raised, and why getting "back to the Earth" is a … Continue reading Friday Review: Folks, This Ain’t Normal by Joel Salatin
You know those contest offers we all get? "Enter to win a copy of Book by Author"? And we either ignore it because "no one really wins those things" or we enter but think "I never win these things". Welp, I can't say that anymore, because I recently won a copy of the illustrated hardcover … Continue reading Winner, Winner (But Not a Chicken Dinner)
My rating: 4 of 5 starsEddie LaCrosse is a self-described sword jockey- an ex-mercenary turned investigator for hire. In this third installment of the series, Eddie is hired to investigate a possibly adulterous nobleman. Arriving at the castle of King Marcus Drake, Eddie is immediately pulled into the court intrigue when a knight is murdered … Continue reading Friday Review: Dark Jenny (Eddie LaCrosse #3) by Alex Bledsoe
This one is one that the BaldMan got me for Christmas. It's The Annotated Brothers Grimm: The Bicentennial Edition. It's just as pretty inside as out. There are full page color illustrations, illuminated lettering, margin drawings both in color, and black and white. It's lovely. These photos are the dust jacket, book cover, and spine. … Continue reading Another Pretty Book
My rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Green Man is a mythic figure that recurs in many different forms in many different folklores. He goes by many names, but he is the embodiment of Nature and its power. In this anthology, Datlow and Windling have gathered some of the best fantasy writers of the day to … Continue reading Friday Review: The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest, Ellen Dalow and Terri Windling, Editors
My rating: 4 of 5 starsEric Ripert is a well-known, Michelin-starred chef at one of New York's best restaurants, Le Bernardin. He grew up in the Andorra region of France, where his mother was an excellent cook, but insisted that the kitchen was no place for a boy. He adored his father and was devastated … Continue reading Friday Review: 32 Yolks: From My Mother’s Table to Working the Line by Eric Ripert
And So On... 