Another great installment in The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead, Compendium 2 by Robert Kirkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great installment in The Walking Dead "parallel universe" that is the book series.

View all my reviews

another Steinbeck masterpiece

The Pearl by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Steinbeck's The Pearl is an absolutely beautifully written retelling of the biblical parable "the pearl of great price". Differing from the gospel account, Steinbeck's version is firmly rooted in the human condition, and the realities of our world and our species. The writing is fully Steinbeck and flows beautifully yet simply, with his brilliant economy of words. Once again, i walk away from a Steinbeck tale with a sense of awe and wonder, yet also a deep feeling of connection to my humanity and to our community that is the human species. This is a must-read, and I can't wait to savor it again.

View all my reviews

MORE Lisbeth please!

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. I am a bigger fan of the heroine of the series, Lisbeth Salander. She makes these stories special. I am glad that the Millennium series has been continued by David Lagercrantz after the untimely death of Mr. Larsson. This continuation of the series from a new author measures up quite well. At the center of the story is a little boy with autism. His story is combined with computer (in)security, encryption and decryption, corrupt corporations and national security agencies, and some really rotten Russian gangsters! What a great story! My only complaint is: not enough Lisbeth! I want more. She is a fascinating and compelling personality. She is strong, incredibly smart, and completely dedicated to righting injustice and corruption using her most unorthodox means. She is a master hacker and coolest heroine i've read about for some time. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series - with MORE Lisbeth please :)

View all my reviews

many layers of narrative

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one fun book to read. I enjoyed Mr. Goldman's writing style, irreverent witty, fun. I loved getting the inside story of a great film "The Princess Bride". But I also loved the back stories of the characters, from every level of the story. I don't think I've ever read a story written with so many layers of narrative. The central plot of the book is obviously a tale of fiction, of make believe that we are all familiar with from the film. But the enclosing layers of the storyline which the central story is wrapped within bounce about between fact, fiction, and the gray region somewhere in between to such a degree that the reader (at least this reader) is never quite sure where the facts leave off and the fiction begins! What a fun way to write, and to read, a story. Bravo. :)

View all my reviews