Fifty Books » Book Reviews

Murder on the Orient Express

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:44:41 +0000

Another Agatha Christie novel – my daughter read this a few months and ruined it for me by telling me whodunnit, having assumed that I’d read it, but I never had.
So, I wasn’t surprised by the ending but it was still interesting figuring out just how the murderer(s) managed it.
I love an Agatha Christie read, and Hercules Poirrot is one of my favourite. They aren’t heavy and it is a very quick read, while still being engrossing.
Recommended

Gust Front

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:50:56 +0000

This is the second book in John Ringo’s Posleen War series.
I am really enjoying this series – its a big, disaster story (although I am expecting mankind will beat the bad guys before the end!)
Its not perfect, or at least not perfect for me. I had trouble with the large cast of characters; the author will constantly introduce new characters, and its not easy to see that one is going to be a major player, or a one-page event. and occasionally he goes wild with the descriptions of equipment and weapons and I simply can’t follow what he’s saying or the significance to the storyline. There are also times where I don’t understand the role of some characters in the story – just who are the monk people and what are they doing? Perhaps time will tell.
But despite that, the storyline is really sucking me in, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.
If you like a big disaster story, and you are into weapons or SF, then you should like this.

The Stainless Steel Rat

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:20:54 +0000

This is the original Stainless Steel Rat book and while it is a very enjoyable read, its really showing its age.
The chauvinism of the main character is embarrassing at times, but nonetheless its a fun read.
At just 185 pages, it doesn’t take long to skim through, so there isn’t much invested in it.

The Matters at Mansfield

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:04:04 +0000

Full title: The matters at Mansfield, or, the Crawford affair

This is the fourth book in the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries, covering what happened to Elizabeth and Darcy after they got married. This entry incorporates characters from Mansfield Park, as all the books have ‘reused’ one of Jane Austen’s other novels. We find Elizabeth and Darcy at a ball, where Lady Catherine and Darcy’s cousin Anne are also found. Elizabeth encourages Anne to dance with a young man as Lady Catherine is playing cards and won’t know. BUt it turns out that Anne has been betrothed to a young man of title, who Darcy and Darcy’s cousin Fitzwilliam do not think is suitable – he beats his animals, so how would he treat his wife?
Anne solves this be eloping (the cover tells us this, so I’m not embarrassed by the spoiler) and that is when the mystery really begins. Anne’s new husband is a character from Mansfield park, and you can imagine that leaves him lots of space to be of low character.
I won’t spoil how it all runs, except to say that those who manage to stay alive, live happily ever after

Bebris’ stories are great. I really like the way she evokes the period, and the developments with characters from the other novels is very well done. If you are into historical fiction or just Jane Austen, you will enjoy this.

After a pleasant night at a ball, Mr. Darcy and his wife, Elizabeth, are stunned to learn that Darcy’s cousin, Anne de Bourgh, the daughter of the formidable Lady Catherine, has eloped with rakish Henry Crawford. Lady Catherine is incensed, as she’d promised Anne’s hand in marriage to Neville Sennex, the brutish son of a senile nobleman. Lady Catherine is horrified to discover Henry once had an affair with a married woman in Mansfield, but she’s floored when a young woman claims to have married Henry several years ago. With his freedom and possibly his life on the line, Henry flees—only to be found dead days later, leaving the Darcys to suss out who did him in.

Sixty Days and Counting

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:14:37 +0000

This is the final book in the series and I found it a little disappointing. The book itself was fine, and I enjoyed the writing, but as a series finale, I felt it didn’t tie up the threads well enough. Our major storyline is well resolved, with Frank managing to settle things with his girl (there, thats not a spoiler! I didn’t tell you any of the exciting stuff!) but the other threads, such as Charlie, or global warming, or even just the spores in Russia are just left hanging.
I liked the book, but didn’t feel it resolved well.

A Hymn Before Battle

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:36:51 +0000

I picked up this book on a whim; the cover made it look like one of those schlocky books whose writing isn’t good enough to hold my attention.
But then I read the blurb on the back. Ohhhhhh…. I loves me a good galactic-war-defend-the-earth story.
This is the first novel in the Posleen War series. The backstory runs like this: there are a lot of other races out in the galaxy, and they tend to be peaceful, because warlike races tend to destroy themselves before they reach space.
The Posleen are an exception, and the existing peaceful races simply can’t fight them.
After losing for a few centuries, they finally turn to this backward race they’ve known of for a long time – humans.
Can we save the day? Probably only the last book will tell us.
This story sets up multiple characters, but the major plot line follows one Michael O’Neal. He is ex-military, now working as a web developer and a science fiction nut. When the galactics come calling, he is called back to active duty – as is every other former soldier, as there is now rejuvenation techniques to make them all fighting fit again.
One of the major themes of the book is the use of ‘suits’ for Infantry – an obvious homage to Heinlein‘s Starship Troopers. Its a pure romp for any old Heinlein fan.

I really enjoyed this book; it took me far too long to read it as I am a bit tight for time right now, but I am looking forward to picking up the next one…

1632

admin — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:09:51 +0000

1632 is a well known novel by historian and novelist Eric Flint.
It is unusual in that I have listed it in more than one series; but the series seems to have taken on a life of its own and is being ‘written’ by more than one author, similar to Niven’s Man-Kzin War series.
The premise: a West Virginian mining town suffers a mysterious event that pushes them back to Central Europe in 1632 (hence the title) – smack dab in the middle of the Thirty Years War, which would not have been a nice time of history to trip into.
The Americans promptly set to rebuilding a democratic community, no matter what change they have to make in existing European establishments.
I enjoyed this book, but it was very much a ‘leave your sensibilities at the door and just enjoy the ride’ experience, because it is so cringingly American.
I mean, yes, it is handy that every person seems to have a cellar full of guns and ammunition, because they are going to have to defend themselves, but… the ethics involved don’t seem to occur to the characters. For example, they take over one town by sending in a young woman armed with a 9mm so she won’t be raped, so that when she shoots dead an assailant in cold blood they have an excuse. Her actions in killing him aren’t in question – those of the people who sent her in specifically to do that must be.
But those are minor quibbles; if you like alternate history, you will enjoy this book.

A little more research has shown that the volumes published so far are:

There are also a series of books called “The Grantville Gazette” which are essentially fanfic; short stories by fans.

North by Northanger

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:41:17 +0000

Carrie Bebris is writing a series of books as ‘sequels’ to the original Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice and I have read a few of them now.
I really like them.
Ms Bebris has captured the flavour of the original books extremely well; she is true to all the characters (although I’m horribly shocked at how little Lydia has grown up!).

The books are, obviously, mysteries. In this entry, Elizabeth is expecting her first child and is a trifle nervous about the birth. Darcy’s mother died giving birth to Georgiana, so he also has his worries. They discover a letter left by Darcy’s mother, addressed to the next Mrs Darcy, written while in labour in the day of her death, where she tells of a item she cannot find, which would help her through her labour. Elizabeth and Darcy set out to find the mysterious object.
Mixed in with this are some accusations that see Darcy spend time in gaol. (He is innocent, naturally).
I must admit, our author had me tricked in this one; not that I often figure out mysteries. I decided that what the former Mrs Darcy had lost was the love of her husband. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

If you are fond of the works of Jane Austen, or of historical fiction generally, this is a lovely book and I do recommend it.

You can learn more about Carrie Bebris at her website.

Fifty Degrees Below

admin — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:07:44 +0000

This is the second book in Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Science in the Capital” and it carries on the story set in the first book well.
Scene: Washington DC, and the effects of climate change are being seen – global warming is causing Arctic meltoffs which are doing strange things to the Gulf Stream, bringing on a repeat of the Younger Dryas event (go read Wikipedia if you want to know more).
The book returns to characters featured in the first book, but concentrates on Frank, who is beginning his second year in Washington, a year of emotional turmoil for him. Homeless, he comes up with an innovative solution. Alone, he waits on the mysterious Caroline to call him.
The Quiblers return along with the Tibetans from Khambalung (and, yes, that is a corruption of the name for the place we know of as Shangrila!)
The story develops nicely – better than middle novels often do. I enjoyed reading this volume and shall have to pick up volume 3 quicker than I did this It was September when I read it (and I don’t know why there is no entry here for it from last year) and it is April now!
I suppose this was especially appealing to me because it shows a clear hope of victory for the rational thinker, for the scientist. Biased, but recommended!

Ringworld’s Children

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:51:01 +0000

I picked this up because I thought I had never read it.
Now I’m not sure.
Certainly, it wasn’t entirely clear.
I suspect that there is another Niven book with a similar scene in it – probably not hard.
I enjoyed this , but I did feel that the ending set up too much for another book.. and I don’t know if there is one. A little research shows there is;’ I shall have to figure out what it is.
If you are a completist and have read the earlier books you will want to read this, but its actual value as a standalone book isn’t high.