Review:: The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. LeGuin

Title: The Farthest Shore

Author: Ursula K. LeGuin

Series: The Earthsea Cycle, #3

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

A Wizard of Earthsea

The Tombs of Atuan

I can't exactly put a finger on why I didn't enjoy The Farthest Shore as much as I enjoyed the first two Earthsea books, but I think it has nothing to do with the plot, and rather the introduction of a new character.

Review:: Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Title: Slaughterhouse-Five

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★★★☆

They say Kurt Vonnegut is a love him or hate him kind of author, and I have to admit that while I haven't extensively read him, I fall into the former category. Last time I read Slaughterhouse-Five I was in high school, but I didn't read it for high school. Coming back to it as an adult, it wasn't like I remembered at all (I remembered it being more like Catch-22), but it was a delight to read.

Well, maybe delight is the wrong word.

News and Stuff:: Where Have I Been?

Well, I have been reading. But not a lot.

Depression hit me pretty hard. No, let's not censor this. Depression hit me right out of the game.

I really, really love reading and I love writing my reviews, too. Which makes it so unfair that depression gets to take them away from me.

The good news is, I'm starting to feel better. Things are moving forward. I've got a review scheduled for tomorrow and all will be good.

I just have to keep telling myself that.

Review:: Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett

Title: Sourcery

Author: Terry Pratchett

Series: Discworld, #5

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

The Colour of Magic

The Light Fantastic

Equal Rites

Mort

Sourcery returns us to Rincewind, which really isn't a bad thing. The book is funny, gathering a few out-loud chuckles here and there. This one also had more of a plot than the previous Rincewind novels, which is definitely a plus in my book. However, it still didn't quite stand out or on its own. It was an enjoyable read for sure-I liked it-but it didn't feel phenomenal.

Review:: The Grim Grotto, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Grim Grotto

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #11

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

The Vile Village

The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope

It appears that the charm of The Slippery Slope slipped away with this one. The orphans are swept downstream and end up on a submarine. Things are pretty predictable, and I just didn't feel engaged by any of it.

Review:: Shades of Milk and Honey, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Title: Shades of Milk and Honey

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Series: Glamourist Histories, #1

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I think I'm less angry at this book than disappointed. I went in expecting Jane Austen + magic and ended up really getting neither. While it is a Regency novel, and Kowal works towards Austen's style, much of the charm and all of the wit is missing. And the magic serves no real purpose in the world or the novel. It doesn't feel shoved in, but it does leave me a bit perplexed.

Review:: The Last Colony, by John Scalzi

Title: The Last Colony

Author: John Scalzi

Series: Old Man's War, #3

Format: Hardcover/Kindle

Rating: ★★★★☆

Previously:

Old Man's War

The Ghost Brigades

From the beginning, you know everything is going to go wrong in The Last Colony. But because it's John Scalzi, you know everything will be okay in the end. This was more Ghost Brigades and less Old Man's War—less focus on humor and more on the issues at hand—but I think it's superior to it in a few ways.