I have yet to read a bad Louis L’Amour book. Some of them are more forgettable than others, but they’re all at least pretty good. The best ones, though, are in a league of their own, and I think Last of the Breed may be his best work. It’s a Cold War thriller about an …
Continue reading “Man vs. Nature vs. Man in Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour”
The Storm Testament is an older series, but it’s quite good. It follows the saga of the Storm family, starting with Dan Storm and his adventures during the Mormon pioneer era. The first two books were a lot of fun, and formed a sort of duology. The third book followed Dan’s son Sam’s romantic adventures, …
Even good old Dr. Seuss’s zany imaginationcould not have ever thunk a place as crazy as our nation.Where decent folks, quite sane in fact, upon one knee quite bendedFear the cry of “racist!” from the perpetually offended.Who scream and swear and stamp their feet at everyone else’s sins;They cannot create, they only destroy, so do …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss.”
The first four Murderbot books make a complete story arc, so this one in a lot of ways felt like a satisfying wrap up to the series, even though of course there are other books. I strongly suspect that Martha Wells wrote these with the intent of self-publishing them, but her traditional publisher gave her …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells”
Some books that address controversial issues try to appeal to a broad audience, building bridges and trying to persuade others onto their side. Others are written to a narrow audience, to galvanize the true believers and give them strength and clarity as to the rightness of their side. Neither approach is bad necessarily, but it’s …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: A Nefarious Plot by Steve Deace”
This is probably going to be the longest 3-star review that I’m ever going to write. Don’t get me wrong. This is a very important book, perhaps one of the most important books of our time. Anyone who wants to understand why our world has gone so crazy and where we can expect things to …
Continue reading “The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe”
Out of the thirteen books that I’ve read so far in 2021, this one is the first (and so far only) one that I’ve given five-stars. I read this book just before the January 6th riots at the Capitol, where the lead-up to that event and the controversy surrounding the 2020 elections had acquired an …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: The Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card”
This review is going to have spoilers for the first book. If you want to read my take on the series as a whole, read my review for All Systems Red. Of all of the Murderbot books, this one is my least favorite. It’s still pretty good, but not as good as the first. Thankfully, …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells”
Ah, the Murderbot diaries. If you haven’t heard of these books yet, you’re in for a treat, because this is one of the best ongoing series currently in science fiction. This review will mostly just be for the first book, but since my reviews of the other books will probably contain spoilers, much of what …
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Brandon Sanderson is known for his massive, door-stopping tomes, but after reading The Emperor’s Soul, I think might like his short fiction better. Of course, “short” for Brandon is still a decent-sized novella. The world is rich and full of magic and history—but Brandon doesn’t explain all of it, just the parts that are relevant …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson”
